Synopsis
India has one of the highest rates of acid attacks in the world. Acid attacks are carried out to disfigure the body parts of the victim, especially the face with an intention of seeking revenge or fulfilling some ulterior motive. Acid attacks not only damage the victim physically but also emotionally. It breaks the morale of the victim completely making them feel humiliated and a complete misfit in the society.
'Chhapaak' is one such real-life story of acid-attack survivor #LaxmiAgarwal shown as Malti in the film. The movie depicts her journey which will certainly make you feel emotional at each and every point. Malti was only 19 years old when she had to face this brutal attack. How did she survive? How difficult the battle was after the survival? Did she get the justice? You will know all these answers after watching the movie.
Direction and Screenplay
#MeghnaGulzar has already directed socially-relevant films like #Talvar and #Raazi. So, the expectation of the audience was quite high from her. The director has done complete justice to those expectations. She has chosen to keep the film hard-hitting and raw from the very first scene. From the beginning to the end, the severity of acid attack can be felt. The scream of Malti continues to haunt you even after leaving the theatre.
The success of the film lies in the emotional connect it creates with the audience. The past and the present story of Malti are shown in a parallel way. So, the uneven screenplay of the movie might confuse the audience at few places. The director should have told the story in a chronological order. Also, the climax of the movie is sudden and unpredictable.
Technical Department
The movie is well-edited. In spite of the duration of the movie being 2 hours and 3 minutes, it is engaging throughout. The cinematography is also impressive.
Music and Background Score
Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy's music matches well with the theme of the film. Only two songs have been used in the movie. The title track of #Chhapaak in the voice of #ArijitSingh is perfect. The other song 'Nok-Jhok' is also used quite well.
Performances
'#Chhapaak' will remain as the career-best performance of #DeepikaPadukone till date. It has not been easy for the glamour queen of Bollywood to play the role of an acid-attack survivor. Moreover, this is the first film of her production house. Deepika has shown the courage to take the risk and hats off to her for this reason. These kinds of stories should be told to make people aware of the severity of acid attacks.
Deepika is present in almost every frame of the movie, and the audience will feel her emotions throughout. Her performance is certainly one of the reasons to watch this film in the theatres. #VikrantMassey is quite adorable in this movie. His role has certainly not been an easy one. Vikrant is one of the most under-rated actors in the Bollywood industry and the credit should be given to him for pulling off the role of 'Amol' brilliantly. The performance of the other supporting cast is also quite good.
WMR Verdict
The storyline is hard-hitting, raw and depicts the severity of the acid attacks. The journey of every acid-attack survivor is really difficult and the audience should watch the film to feel that brutality and the pain. A must-watch for the audience of all ages!!
WMR rating: 4/5
Directed by: #Meghna Gulzar
Produced by: #FoxStarStudios, #DeepikaPadukone,
Written by: #AtikaChohan, #MeghnaGulzar
Music by: #Shankar–Ehsaan–Loy
Cinematography: #MalayPrakash
Edited by: #NitinBaid
Production Company: #FoxStarStudios, #KaProductions, #MrigaFilms
Distributed by: #FoxStarStudios
Running time: 2 hours and 3 minutes
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