Chhichhore

Book yourself a date with these Chhichhoras this week and go on a nostalgia trip, while learning a thing or two about life!

Nitesh Tiwari's film celebrates friendships that survive the test of time...

The outcome may be predictable but that's exactly the Chhichhore philosophy -- savour the journey and not worry about getting anywhere.

'Chhichhore' has a relevant message on the inherent attitude towards academic success and failure that will connect with many youngsters and parents of today. It tells you that the journey is far more important than the destination and that losing is as critical a life lesson as winning. The film scores high on many accounts and is certainly worth watching.

While at times highly predictable, not many could deny that this journey of these Chhichhoras to the finals wasn't a fun, if uneven, ride. With a bit more attention to the writing, this film could've differentiated itself from the crowd with its game cast and setting. Presently, it makes for a good one time watch but not much more.

What also does the film good is that it walks the talk in its story. That it goes all "meta" on us by being just about ordinary is a call for us to be more accepting of failure. After all, in its own way, it is a love letter to its younger self. And no such letter can be called outright bad.

Chhichhore is a one-time watch and is for those who are are still hung up on their college life. But it is no 3 Idiots. You might want to call your college buddies after the film.

The writing of Chhichhore is so lacking in depth, and the direction so passionless, it is hard to believe it has been brought to us by the same person who made Dangal. Despite its sporadic bursts of humour, Chhichhore comes across as a half-hearted enterprise.

A must-watch with your college friends, Chhichhore is relatable and relevant. Watch it for its uncomplicated screenplay, gripping narrative and some stellar performances that leave you in stitches.

A Delightful Film To Go & Watch With Old Best Friends...Chhichhore takes you down the memory lane and lets you relive that unforgettable but lost time for a while.

The tropes of campus films abound, yet the humour in Chhichhore is so organic and the characters so particular, you feel like a member of the crowd hoping Hostel 4's strategy makes them champions. It's almost enough to make you overlook the present day prosthetics and script conveniences that lean heavily on the kind of Bollywood melodrama one is not nostalgic about.

However, antagonist or protagonist, the film isn't a hero's tale. It stays true to its message: it's a film about losers telling you you just shouldn't care if you're a loser because it all turns out okay in the end. And all the losers sitting in the audience will know humiliation and rejection because Tiwari tells the tale masterfully. There's enough truth about life and success and failure in the film to help you sail through (with maybe some clenched teeth) the holes in the film.

What works best for the nostalgia-flecked Chhichhore is its warm and non-judgemental evocation of the wonder years. The earnest Anni arrives at a college modelled on the Indian Institute of Technology and learns that he has been assigned to Hostel Number 4. This is where the "losers" are dumped. Although Anni initially attempts to move out, he soon succumbs to its charms.