From the first frame the film seemed a little too dull. The kind of dull we have gotten used to when watching movies in 3D. This got only worse in the low-lit night sequences where absolutely nothing was visible.

If Chauranga’s world feels doubly familiar, it’s because this combination of elements has already been presented by Nagraj Manjule’s Marathi movie Fandry in 2013. Even though Chauranga has been in the making for longer than Manjule’s debut, Fandry beat Mishra to it, and for those who have watched both films, Chauranga feels like a milder and less adventurous cousin.

There’s no denying that the film in unflinching, unafraid to show Dalit village life as the series of compromises it often is. Had the performances been stronger, the accents more convincing, and the ideas more novel, Chauranga might have achieved something like the dramatic power of recent Marathi-language films about childhood.

…a good attempt at reminding us that India is still bound by caste and gender discrimination but it really does nothing more than that. And that’s the biggest problem.

‘Chauranga’ is a hard-hitting subject that is engaging enough till its climax.

What’s missing in between is a fluid narrative, which hobbles the film. Or is the choppiness down to cuts? Either way, this is a film which could have been more.

The title of the film, “Chauranga,” which means four colors, does not justify itself properly. Equally limp is the film in its ability to deliver a strong message. The slow pace and lack of high octane action, leaves it looking like a slice of the Dalit life.

…is innocent yet vicious. It’s a must-watch for those who love their cinematic display ‘raw’.

The film has been shot well and manages to highlight crucial issues. Even though it is director Bikas Ranjan Mishra’s debut film, he has done an impressive job. While the film does make a great attempt, the story leaves a lot to be expected from and drags on in parts. Chauranga attempts to expose the inequity and injustice in society and will stir-up its audience. 

This movie might not be easy to relate to, as it is far removed from our realities, but it is to the debutant director Bikas Ranjan Mishra’s credit that the main protagonist’s struggles and helplessness get to you. This is not an easy watch, but definitely an important one

Chauranga is neither provocative nor skillful in its portrayal. Though its last scene ushers in a ray of hope to nullify the haunting gory glimpses from the film, it never soars high enough to affect you.

With a brilliant theme, a narrative structure that flows, and social relevance that hooks the viewer, Chauranga makes for a powerful watch.

Chauranga makes an engrossing watch, although one wishes there was more to its story.

In debutant director Bikas Ranjan Mishra’s Chauranga  there are so many scummy characters swimming in the tides of a temporal debauchery and greed that you desperately look for ways to tell yourself, life is worth living after all, like you do in the best morality tales of our times.

Watch Chauranga because it is honest, provocative and piercing. It announces the advent of a promising new voice in Mumbai’s independent cinema.

Chauranga is certainly not your regular popcorn flick, with several scenes that will make the popcorn in your stomach toss and turn. But if you are an admirer of realistic cinema, this can be your movie of the weekend.

As against a seething, fuming Fandry, Chauranga is a lot more muted and quiet in its rage. But the thread of protest runs through it nonetheless as Santu retaliates against each bit of random violence heaped against him or his brother.

Chauranga is a dark, cryptic and provocative look at cast oppression as seen through the eyes of a young innocent boy. This is the world of Shyam Benegal’s Nishant and Prakash Jha’s Damul. But a lot more murky and yes, clumsy. There is way too much fondling, pushing and touching, not all of it appropriate or even apt. Sanjay Suri’s love making scenes with Tannishtha Chatterjee show him copulating violently, with his pyjama on.