Chhatriwali Review - A Taboo Lesson On Sex Education For Teenagers & Adults Both

Tejas Deoskar's sex comedy cum family drama cur social teacher, Chhatriwali, sees Rakul Preet in the lead role. It has not been long since we have seen Nushrratt Bharuccha play the role of a condom seller in Bollywood, and here we have another Bollywood lady making the bold choice of a condom tester. However important these two films were for society, one must understand the fact that we are not ready for such topics yet, especially when it comes to watching a film with the entire family together. Yes, the lessons are important, but a human conscience against society's backdrop can't be changed in a day or two or by watching a two-hour film. Chhatriwali attempts another taboo lesson on sex education that involves people from different age groups and genders.Sanya (Rakul Preet) is a science genius but is unable to get the perfect job. Ratan Lamba (Satish Kaushik) offers her a job in his condom manufacturing company as a condom tester, which she initially rejects. However, due to financial problems in her family, she accepts the job but doesn't tell anybody about it. She falls in love with Rishi (Sumeet Vyas), who belongs to a highly devotional family, and marries him. Soon after marriage, she realises how important the use of condoms is in a couple's life and what problems it might cause later. One of the cases is in their own house with her sister-in-law, Nisha (Prachee Shah), who happens to be unhappy with her husband's constant negativity against condoms. Will Sanya be able to break the taboo in society and, moreover, in her own house in the male-dominated neighborhood? Chhatriwali covers all these topics under its shadow.Sanchit Gupta and Priyadarshee Srivtastav's writing dares to challenge the topic in a more detailed manner than what we have seen before. Janhit Mein Jaari went too social, but Chhatriwali has dug a big hole in the family notions that usually involve three generations and their thinking. It is not only about conveying the message to society and effecting change in society; it is also about effecting change in your own life and the lives of your family. It goes into small details such as bedroom conversations, sex class debates, gender equality, men's old mindsets, and, last but not least, the manufacturing process of condoms. The factory scenes in which we see the process of making condoms are crucial in this film because today's youth know all the theories but not the practical. A slightly defective screenplay causes a leakage here, but I guess, the match is over by then. Scenes such as the neighbour woman yelling at Sanya, her brother and law's overdramatic behavior, Rishi's sudden change in thought process, and a few others are too mediocre. But then there are some scenes that elevate its storyline and make it different from the regular taboo-breaking films that we have seen in Bollywood.Rakul Preet is growing more and more mature as an actress with her bold choices. Earlier, she used to play skin-show roles, but then, last year, she had Runway 34, which gave her a much-needed boost as an actress. With Chhatriwali, she surpasses all the mediocrities she did after Runway 34. In this film, you'll witness a new Rakul Preet with old vibes. Excluding romantic scenes, there is not a moment where she wore mediocrity. Sumeet Vyas has a decent presence, but his screen time is unexpectedly low. You will see Satish Kaushik with a pretty funny look here, but his calmness carries the ship for him. Prachee Shah, Rajesh Tailang, and Riva Arora have some important scenes, and they did an okay job. The rest of the supporting cast fills the frames as expected.Chhatriwali's dialogues might make you uncomfortable for a moment because we are not used to such words. If we can bear so many unnecessary abusive words in Bollywood movies and OTT shows, then it's better to welcome Chhatriwali's dialogues, as they are at least trying to teach you something helpful. The technical aspects aren't that great here, be it cinematography, editing, or the background score. The music is underwhelming; I don't even know why they put songs in the film (only to achieve a 2-hour runtime, I guess?). Tejas Deooskar's ambitious project is pulled down by average writing and a subversive phase of movies. Had it not been for OTT, one cannot imagine a daring film like Chhatriwali to come and be available for family audiences. Despite that, it is still an important film with somewhat fun in the narratives. However, it could have been much better and stronger if wanted. Overall, a decent watch for ZEE5 and Rakul Preet's viewers.