Chhava movie review: At the end of 161 minutes of Chhava, which is based on key points in the life of Shivaji Maharaj’s son Sambhaji Maharaj, you are left with two main thoughts. How can you make a film that talks about a historical figure who is not as famous as his great parents, without wondering how much of it is fact and how much is fiction?
Chhava
- Chhava Movie Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Rashmika Mandanna, Akshaye Khanna, Ashutosh Rana, Divya Dutta, Vineet Singh, Diana Penty, Neil Bhoopalam
- Chhava Movie Director: Laxman Utekar
- Chhava Movie Rating: 2.5 stars
- Chhava Movie Review: The torture porn in the climax of Vicky Kaushal’s film reminds you of the systematic murder of Jesus in ‘The Passion of Christ’
And secondly, what makes you manage to watch this hyper-violent, hyper-violent reconstruction of a part of 17th-century Hindustan is the total commitment displayed by its lead actor to the title character: Vicky Kaushal becomes Chhava (‘son of the lion’), whose story the film adapts from Shivaji Sawant’s Marathi novel of the same name.
The film begins as it should: an attack on a Mughal outpost by a band of brave Maratha warriors led by Sambhaji, in which Sambhaji emerges completely victorious. The camera stays close to the skillful Sambhaji, who charges into battle as if it were his forte, cracking heads and chopping off limbs, which we see in extremely gory detail.
This sets the tone for the rest of the story. Repeated attempts by the Mughals to exterminate the Marathas, led by the cunning Aurangzeb (Akshaye Khanna), who is for some reason referred to as ‘Aurang’, are thwarted, while enemies lurking within Sambhaji’s ranks attempt to finish off their enemies.
In between the constantly frenetic set-pieces of soldiers and swords and horses, we get scenes of domestic life. Doe-eyed Rashmika Mandanna, who has become the go-to actress for the loyal wife of the powerful in the South and the North, welcomes her wounded heroic husband home, while plots are being hatched by her scheming stepmother (Divya Dutta) and her allies to take our hero’s place.
Chava’s portrayal of the Mughal invaders as black is in keeping with the current climate, but we have reached a point where the film’s attempt at balance needs to be noted: Akbar (Neil Bhoopalam) is not shown as bloodthirsty as Aurangzeb, the evil emperor who crushed all opposition to his rise, but at every point he, Akbar, is the supplicant, and Sambhaji, with his constant ‘guhaar’ of ‘swaraj’, is all-powerful. When he’s not chopping off body parts and sweet-talking his wife, Sambhaji lives mainly with his loyal companions, an uncle (a heavily moustached Ashutosh Rana) and a poet-cum-best friend (Vineet Singh), both of whom are effective.
Akshaye Khanna, practically unrecognisable under prosthetic work as the white-haired, aging Aurangzeb, obsessed with shaping the lion cub’s end, manages to carve out a few interesting moments for himself. But soon he strays from the plot, even when he hangs his enemy, bloodied and wounded, on a pole.
The torture porn, overseen by Aurangzeb’s cruel daughter (Diana Penty, who plays a somewhat costumed role in the period drama), reminds you of the systematic murder of Jesus in Mel Gibson’s ‘The Passion of Christ’. It’s relentless, and ends in a tiring blur, just like the film itself.
Surendra Bareth is a versatile actor and assistant director with a Bachelor’s degree from Guru Ghasidas University. He has made remarkable contributions to Hindi and Chhattisgarhi cinema, as well as television, excelling in both acting and direction.
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