Behind ‘Chehre’ is Friedrich Dürenmatt’s novel – ‘A Dangerous Game’ – News18 Hindi

Cinematographer Binod Pradhan, Editor Bodhaditya Banerjee, Casting Director Mukesh Chhabra. The film can be brought into the limelight only on the basis of these three names. Then you mix Amitabh Bachchan, Raghuveer Yadav, Anu Kapoor, Emraan Hashmi in it. The discussion of the film is guaranteed. Now take Riya Chakraborty, who was harassed by the media, for a small role in this film. There is a complete guarantee that your film will be discussed among the common people. The film begins, looks like a very beautiful film. Snowy valleys, winding roads, great car. For half an hour the characters keep coming and the film goes on. As soon as the real story of the film unfolds, you remember the 1956 novel ‘A Dangerous Game’ written by Friedrich Dürenmatt. After that you lose interest in the film.

Writer-director Rumi Jaffrey’s famous film Chehre was recently released on Amazon Prime Video. The film was rejected by the audience in the cinema hall, but the reason was not the film but the film’s actress Rhea Chakraborty. 90% of the film has been shot in a single house. Emraan Hashmi, the CEO of an ad agency, takes shelter in a house because of a snowstorm where 4 retired people – a judge, a public prosecutor, another lawyer and an executioner – sit and play ‘court court’ with the visiting guests. The guest is made guilty in it and a case is filed against him.

A superconfident or rather overconfident person in the world of advertising gets caught in the clutches of these old lawyers and it comes to the fore that the CEO of an ad agency has to admit his mistake or his crime. The judge declares him guilty. The whole case gets captured in the CCTV installed in that house and the executioner waits for his turn to hang the criminal. In Frederick’s novel the criminal commits suicide, here Emraan Hashmi slips on the ice and falls into a ditch.

Actually, watching this film is very heavy. At one time, it seems that if two or three actors shoot each other with guns out, then the film might end. How interesting the story would have been in the novel is a matter to think about. One judge, two lawyers, one executioner. There is a basic measure of friendship. Judges and lawyers are so clueless that apart from being humpyala, humniwala, they just don’t address each other with ‘Kyun Bay’. There is a servant who has been sentenced for murder. This judge had given his verdict, the government lawyer and the criminal’s lawyer were also the same. The executioner could not do anything to him because he was only sent to jail. There is also a housekeeper girl. Who also does painting. Laughs like a fool whom she considers innocent. In her spare time, she keeps staring at Emraan Hashmi.

The environment of the story is fictional, so please forgive me, this thing is beyond understanding. Rumi himself has written many hit films but how did he miss out this time? He is supported by another famous writer-director Ranjit Kapoor. Together they have written the story, screenplay and dialogues. Throughout the script, there is a competition of ‘Who will kill more current dialogues or throw a sher’.

It takes 45 minutes for the story to move from first gear to second gear. Emraan Hashmi does amazing work during this. Amitabh Bachchan was taken to cook for the entire film and he has again committed the mistake of carrying the cross of the film on his stooped shoulders. At one place, he speaks alone for 7-8 minutes and narrates the showreel of the decisions taken by the courts in India. Was interested in narrating, was not good at all in listening. Annu Kapoor, the younger brother of the film’s writer Ranjit Kapoor, is also in the film. Basically watching and hearing Punjabi Annu Kapoor speaking Punjabi as Sardar is like hitting the brain with a hammer. Raghuveer Yadav is seen playing flute in a new way and shows his talent. Riya Chakraborty and Siddharth Kapoor’s character in the film was like a house help, even if it was not there, it would not have mattered. What was the need to introduce the kindness and honesty of four legal characters.

It is not that everything in the film is bad. It is necessary to see the magic of the camera of senior and award winning cinematographer Binod Pradhan. It is a pleasant experience to see the cold valleys, snow, wooden house and different shades of clothes of each character in the frame. Well-known editor of Bengali films, Bodhaditya Banerjee, who also edited Amitabh Bachchan’s courtroom drama ‘Pink’, his work is also commendable. The scenes of the film are written in a cumbersome manner, so Bodhaditya also struggled to create thrill in the film. Different scenes have been shot at different places in the same house and they have worked hard to establish harmony between them. A big salute should be done to the casting director Mukesh Chhabra. Along with Amitabh Bachchan, Emraan Hashmi and Dhritiman Chatterjee, seasoned actors like Anu Kapoor and Raghuveer Yadav have been brought together. Siddhant Kapoor and Rhea Chakraborty have probably got a place because of friendship.

Rumi Jaffrey has so far written or directed most of the comedy or clean films. Chehre is not a film of his mood. This step was bold though did not prove to be very right. The film is boring because the dialogues have ruined the film. Can watch the film for the acting of Amitabh and Emraan Hashmi.

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Tags: amazon prime video, Amitabh Bachchan, Chehre Movie, emraan hashmi, movie review, Rhea Chakraborty