Chaarfutiya Chhokare

Starring: Soha Ali Khan, Harsh Mayar, Seema Biswas, Mukesh Tiwari, Zakir Hussain

Rated: 5/10

While it is good to make meaningful cinema with a message, the problem occurs when the filmmakers try to bombard the audience with too many issues and give their opinion in the end. Chaarfutiya Chhokare is no different. As mentioned the film tries to showcase and deal with various ills that prevail in our society and in its own way rather strange way comes up with a solution.

That is where the movie starts to go down the hill or should one say the flat expanse of land — the movie is set in the backdrop of a small village in Bihar. And we all know what happens when money and the State come together. So, one gets to see the underbelly, once again, that exists between the three power houses — politicians, the cops and the bureaucracy.

The good part is that the director has dealt with a problem that is very much a problem in our country with the children — that of labour, flesh trade and how they are exploited and lured into the world of crime at a very young age here, in this one at age 12.

Another aspect of the movie that deserves worth a mention is Soha Ali Khan’s performance. She is the lead protagonist and more so less carries the film on her small shoulders. Harsh Mayar, Shankar Mandal and Aditya Jaiswal have also done a good job.

The downer is that the seriousness of the issues at hand have been given a rather frivolous treatment. The film does it best to add shock value and make the audience sit up and take notice but all that is does manage to do is leave one with a feeling that this movie lacks soul.