Chehre Movie Review: Amitabh Bachchan and Emraan Hashmi's Sincere Performances Save This Predictable, Preachy Thriller! (LatestLY Exclusive)
High on opulence and grandeur, Chehre fails to stitch the plot and the subplots in a believable and/or thrilling way. Mercifully, Amitabh Bachchan and Emraan Hashmi lend dignity to the tale that ends up being a predictable lecture on morality! 'Chehre' is directed by Rumy Jafry and stars Amitabh Bachchan and Emraan Hashmi in the lead roles. It has ensemble cast including Annu Kapoor, Krystle D’Souza, Rhea Chakroborthy, Raghubir Yadav and Siddhanth Kapoor. The film is produced by Anand Pandit Motion Pictures & Saraswati Entertainment Private Limited.
Chehre Movie Review: Rich cinematic texture, gorgeous locales and a fantastic unit of actors, Chehre starring Amitabh Bachchan and Emraan Hashmi in the lead roles has all the promising ingredients that are likely to pull you to the nearest cinema hall with a grand promise of achieving thrills as indeed dishing out a mystery thriller. What it lacks though is an equally handsome/killer soul! (read: a sharp storyline with finer writing). Chehre: Rhea Chakraborty Pens a Motivating Note Ahead of the Film’s Release, Says ‘Gratitude Is Powerful’.
No, don't get us wrong! Rumy Jafry's directorial venture is not low on intent, and even the required execution is finely achieved, but in the end, one feels that Chehre is certainly an opportunity partly wasted. The scale on which the movie is mounted, the lavish setting in which it has been placed, and the luxurious screenplay this production has been immersed in, Chehre certainly demanded crisper writing, more efforts in character as indeed sequence development, and sharper editing. (less preaching and spoon-feeding please!)
As an audience, you are quickly drawn into this peculiar place where a set of four aging friends (Amitabh Bachchan, Annu Kapoor, Raghubir Yadav and Dhritiman Chatterjee) are all set to play a strange game, a mock trial of sorts, with a mysterious visitor (played by Emraan Hashmi) who has landed at their doorstep in an emergency situation. Initially hesitant, Hashmi's character decides to play what seems like a rather harmless, intelligent, and engaging game proposed by the highly educated and equally elegant hosts. The stage is perfectly set, but things don't unfold at the pace you would expect them to unspool.
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The sequences look sketchy, characters not exactly invested (or/and hurriedly sketched), and a storyline that doesn't make the events feel like they are smoothly blended in the narrative. As if the makers are willing to get lost in their own world comprising hurriedly crafted script, the heavy-duty verbal jugalbandi and bharpoor dialogue baazi. The real chehre, the kahaani and the thrills get lost in the opulence and the grandeur. Chehre: Amitabh Bachchan Doesn’t Act like a Superstar on Set, Says Director Rumy Jafry
Clearly, Amitabh Bachchan leads from the front as he assumes the role of a prosecutor. His screen presence is towering and his charisma makes Chehre arresting in parts. The makers have paid extra attention to his stylish attire, his character placement, and the lines he mouths with such flourish. The ever-so-dependable Annu Kapoor brings his finest act on the table to deliver an act that stays with you. A special word of mention here for Raghubir Yadav. What a gem of an actor he is who shines with his individuality in the smallest of the parts he plays!
Emraan Hashmi is at absolute ease in the skin of his character as the suave and the stylish chief of an advertising agency around whom the whole game of the mock trial revolves. Over the years Hashmi has matured into an impressive performer who knows how to do less to achieve more. In Chehre he brings a lot of stability and sincerity to propel the narrative forward. At places, he gets unnaturally bewildered and even hysterical, but that's the downside of the writing and direction. And this holds true for probably every actor involved here. Chehre Title Track: Amitabh Bachchan Recites a Powerful Poem in the Second Song From the Rumy Jafry Directorial
Rhea Chakraborty as the maid of the strange house has played her part well. But again, her character could have been more carefully crafted, and more genuinely at that. Krystal D'Souza as Hashmi's secret love interest looks more stylish and less mysterious and even lesser villain-ny than the plot demanded.
Yay!
-A rich picture tonality with a grand setting that is opulent (it indeed is a visual treat
-The stylish wardrobe, the stylish characters and the pacy second half
-Amitabh Bachchan with his magnificent screen presence and an impressive style to match is a delight to watch.
- Emraan Hashmi's ease, Annu Kapoor's intensity, and Raghubir Yadav's quirky presence add drama.
Nay!
-languid and incoherent first half
-unnecessary dialogue-baazi and sloppy writing
-the backstory could have been more engaging and edgy
-Big B launching into a monologue that comes across as a long and boring lecture on morality.
Final Thoughts
Chehre scores with its arresting premise, the costumes, and the rich performances. Yes, it lacks that edge and that much-needed killer intent. One wishes if it could have been equally richer in terms of stitching the plots and the subplots in a more interesting and engaging manner. Mercifully, the sincere performances of the actors bring respect and dignity to the tale which is more predictable and preachy than thrilling!
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 26, 2021 06:02 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).