Chhaava Review: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna Deliver Top-Notch Performances But Film Falters In Execution!
Vicky Kaushal, Rashmika Mandanna and Akshaye Khanna starrer Chhaava is a biopic on Chhatrapati Sambhaji and is directed by Laxman Utekar. Read our review.
3 / 5
The first glimpse of Vicky Kaushal starrer Chhaava was released in 2024 and finally, the film has hit the theatres. Directed by Laxman Utekar and produced under the banner of Dinesh Vijan’s Maddock Films, Chhaava also stars Rashmika Mandanna, Akshaye Khanna, Divya Dutta and Diana Penty in pivotal roles. The film is based on the same name book and tells the brave story of Chhatrapati Sambhaji, the second Chhatrapati who led the Maratha Empire. The film’s music is given by the legendary AR Rahman. Chhaava is not an all-perfect biopic and comes with a set of flaws in terms of the storytelling and background score, however, it shines in some parts. Vicky Kaushal as Sambhuraje is brilliant but Akshay Khanna wins the show for me. Let’s do a quick breakdown of the film.
Plot
Laxman Utekar’s Chhaava is a film based on the life of Chhatrapati Sambhaji. It’s a story of a king’s unmatched love for Swaraj, his sheer bravery and the ultimate sacrifice. Rashmika Madnanna plays Maharani Yesubai, Akshaye Khanna is the cruel Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb and Divya Dutta aces the role of Chhatrapati Shivaji’s wife Rajmata Soyrabai. The film begins with a brief introduction about the conflict between the Mughals and Marathas with a voiceover by Ajay Devgn. It then shows the battle of Burhanpur which was initiated by Chattrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Chhaava’s story deals with the outer battles and some inner battles of Chattrapati Sambhaji. It also explores Sambhuraje’s relationship with his wife, Maharani Yesubai, the conspiracies, the void in the Maratha ruler’s life and his valiant sacrifice for Swaraj.
Performances
Vicky Kaushal as Chhaava is brilliant. He has played the role of a brave king in all his honesty and that reflects on the big screen. Vicky Kaushal effortlessly transforms himself into Chhatrapati Sambhaji. He balances all the emotions like it’s a piece of cake and that is a testimony to his sharp acting skills as an artist. Whether it’s the action sequences where Sambhaji Maharaj is dripping in blood and sweat or his moments of weakness when he misses his mother, Vicky expresses these emotions with depth and ease. His eyes speak a lot! The actor’s dialogue delivery is top-notch. However, what I honestly missed was the Marathi tone or accent in the dialogue!
Akshaye Khanna as Aurangzeb delivers an impeccable performance and deserves every ounce of praise for that. Even through those prosthetics, one can see the actor’s expressions of hate, guilt, rage and pride. Akshaye Khanna captured the true essence of the cruel and vicious nature of the Mughal Emperor and there’s not a single dialogue where the actor falters. There are scenes where Akshay Khanna will make you close your eyes in terror and there is a moment when he makes you burst with laughter. I loved watching him on the big screen!
Rashmika Mandanna as Maharani Yesubai is elegant and charming but lacks the aura of the queen. She looks like a bit of a misfit in the film especially because of the dialogue delivery. I failed to see a Maratha Queen in her because the bar has been set quite high in other films on the Maratha rulers.
Divya Dutta had only a few scenes but oh my god, she took the spotlight and how. Her grace and charm as Rajmata Soyarabai were intact when she expressed jealousy and anger against Chattrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. Those flawless expressions and dialogue delivery gave me goosebumps. I found myself disliking her and that’s when we know, she successfully nailed it!
Storytelling
Chhaava’s storytelling sometimes felt all over the place and disjointed too. This majorly hampered the impact of the film and the emotions portrayed by each character. There was a constant back and forth in showcasing Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s fight with the Mughals while also focusing on his inner turmoil. However, I could not resonate well with the latter emotions of the King. The first half of the film was slow but post-interval it picked up the pace. The entire sequence of the warfare techniques that the Marathas used to beat the Mughal army was quite interesting and intriguing, but a little too overdramatic as well. The confrontational scenes between Sambhaji and Aurangzeb were some of the best moments in the film, a scene where the soldiers are fighting in a cramped space also felt raw and hard-hitting, and the scene where Sambhaji has a poetic competition with his court’s poet Kavi Kalash (Vineet Kumar Singh) felt so real!
However, I have my complaints about the climax of the film. It looked a bit too stretched and gave the impression that emotions and sympathy were being forced upon the audience. I also felt distanced from the love story of Chhatrapati Sambhaji and Yesubai.
Background Score
The film’s background score by the legend AR Rahman is both a boon and a curse for this film. In some moments, the background score elevated the impact of a scene, especially during the battles but at the same time, I found the background score too distracting and loud. I could not stay with the emotions of the characters because the flow of it was interrupted by the background music for many parts.
Direction
Laxman Utekar has done a fine job of making the film visually appealing. The direction works wonders to make up for all the different flaws that the film deals with.
The Marathi Essence
Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj is such an important historical character in the history of the Marathas. However, the film failed to nurture and bring out the true Marathi essence through the dialogues and characters. There were hardly any dialogues in Marathi and I so missed the Marathi accent in this film. The lack of Marathi actors in the film was felt throughout.
Chhaava Verdict
Laxman Utekar’s directorial Chhaava is not a flawless biopic on Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj. It has flaws that are hard to ignore since they impacted the essence of this important story to come across impactfully. However, the story itself is something that we should witness on the big screen. Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Divya Dutta and Vineet Kumar Singh are some actors who stood out for me in their respective characters. Rashmika Mandanna made honest efforts and that we see. The background score is impressive but not so much. Well, the film definitely does not meet our expectations but it’s a story that should be watched. And if you are a Vicky Kaushal or Akshaye Khanna fan, then do watch. It’s currently running in the theatres.
First Published: February 14, 2025 11:09 AM
