‘Chhatriwali’ Review: Rakul Preet Singh’s Drab And Awkward Sex Ed Film Couldn’t Get It Up
Wish the makers would've taken this topic more seriously!
Every time I hear a condom being referred to as a chhatri, I end up erupting into giggles! Because chhatri is a far funnier word to be synonymous with condoms and I feel it makes light of this very important safe-sex essential. So, when I heard that a film titled Chhatriwali is going to be released, I was expecting it to be an eye-opener on having conversations about safe sex and the risk not using a condom poses. And it annoyed me the most when the film half-assedly covered these topics which it should have been primarily based on. Starring Rakul Preet Singh, Sumeet Vyas, Satish Kaushik, Dolly Ahluwalia, Rajesh Tailang and others, Chhatriwali is directed by Tejas Deoskar. I was expecting it to be a banger but it barely managed to get it up for me. Sorry, not sorry!
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Chhatriwali’s Plot
Rakul Preet Singh plays the role of the bubbly and smart chemistry majors teacher, Sanya, who does not have a full-time job. So, she takes tuition as a source of income. And out of the blue, she lands a job at a condom manufacturing company as a quality control head! In the meantime this happened, she also ends up falling in love with Rishi Kalra, AKA Sumeet Vyas who runs the Kalra Puja Bhandar shop. All this happened so miraculously fast, conveniently and within half an hour of the movie that I could not process it! Also, there are two very unnecessary songs in this half an hour frame as well.
While she and Rishi turn their dosti into rishtedaari, I mean when they get married, Sanya hides her job details from her him and his family. Because obviously, vo kya kahenge? At the factory, she is supposed to make sure the condoms pass the air, water and electric test. The first two tests were shown but the electric test was not and I wonder what that would be! But let’s move on. Satish Kaushik plays Ratan Lamba, the manager of the condom factory who leaves all responsibility to Sanya to make these condoms better.
In her personal life, Sanya and Rishi are enjoying their sex lives but the latter does not like to use condoms. When Sanya asks what if there’s an unplanned pregnancy and this is what Rishi says, I kid you not, “Accident hone se pehle mai U-turn mar lunga!” This is what we’re calling the pull-out method, now?
The movie had one job – to talk about the importance of sex education without making an already taboo topic more awkward. But it was a touch-and-go on the main parts like why safe sex is important, the adverse effects of morning pills and the side effects of abortions.
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There is a scene where Sanya’s elder sister-in-law suffers a miscarriage and is rushed to the hospital. While she is still on the hospital bed, she talks about how men never understand the ill effects of the morning pills, and how she never was able to convince her husband to use condoms. This was the only scene that felt remotely close to the crux of Chhatriwali. Everything else was just blah and very generic.
What also did not work for me was the pace of the film. It was excruciating. I expected that a two-hour film will be a little slower in the first half, get the audience familiarised with Sanya’s job, how inconvenient was it for her to do it yet how she managed while picking up pace in the second, where her family learns what she does and they confront her.
I was also expecting a monologue from Rakul Preet Singh on why using condoms is important for women’s sexual health. I thought she would fire statistics and demand answers from his brother-in-law, Rajesh Tailang, whose refusal to use a condom almost cost his wife’s life. But nothing happened. The movie fizzled out right within the first half hour like a year-old soda.
There was no climax in the film either. In fact, for a movie that was made to talk about sex education, it spoke so much in circles about sex, condoms and stamina that it felt like an unfunny joke. The dialogues are poorly written as well. There are so many unnecessary double-meaning dialogues about sex and condoms that were totally contrary to the purpose of the film. Also, why was Rakul the chhatriwali? Did she sell condoms? No. Did she make them herself? No to that either. So, what was the purpose of the title of this film?
Also read: TMF: Chhatriwali Star Rakul Preet Singh Explains Why Lack Of Sex Education Is Dangerous
Chhatriwali’s Cast
Rakul Preet Singh did well with what she was given to work with. She did try and add personality and dimension to Sanya’s character but she was given very less to work with. Sumeet Vyas was the arm candy husband. He was the husband who rides a bullet bike, who loves his wife, leaves her because of family pressure, and then fights to get her back.
But if there was one performance that made it worthwhile, it was Satish Kaushik. His performance as Ratan Lamba was so funny and natural that I will not be wrong if I call him the saving grace of this film. Rajesh Tailang as the very strict biology teacher who is embarrassed to talk about sex but not of having it using safe methods also played his part well.
Also read: TMF: Rakul Preet Singh Reveals How Her Mother Clarified ALL Her Period Doubts
Verdict
Chhatriwali is not worth the time. It is flat, boring and predictable, and does not serve the film’s purpose. I wish the concept of the movie was taken more seriously.
Watch Rakul Preet Singh’s exclusive video with Hauterrfly’s The Male Feminist where she talks about the importance of sex education.
