Chhalaang is streaming on Amazon Prime VIdeo. (Photo: Amazon Prime VIdeo) Starring Rajkummar Rao, Nushrratt Bharuccha, Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub among others, Hansal Mehta directorial Chhalaang is finally streaming on Amazon Prime Video.
The film, set in Haryana, is a romantic drama and follows a sports teacher who falls in love with a colleague. Tensions arise when another colleague starts challenging him. Chhalaang is set in a school, and from the trailer, it seems like the kids play a significant role in the film. Chhalaang also stars Saurabh Shukla. Satish Kaushik and Ila Arun.
In an earlier interview with indianexpress.com, Rajkummar Rao spoke about his many collaborations with Hansal Mehta and said, “The kind of films we did earlier were mentally taxing for both of us. Chhalaang was more about understanding the character and situation, and having fun with those lines and scenes. Unlike the popular belief, Hansal sir is a funny guy. He likes to have fun on the sets. So, it is always fun to collaborate with him.”
Since Rao has played the role of a small-town man in a few films, he shared what makes Montu different and said, “He is very different than what I have played in Bareilly Ki Barfi, Made In China or Stree. These are different characters with no possibilities of similarities between them. There are so many different characters in small towns. There are so many stories coming from the heartlands. So, one cannot really say that a character should sound or look the same because they come from a small town.”
Indian Express film critic Shubhra Gupta gave the film two and a half stars. She wrote in her Chhalaang review, "For a while now, the Hansal Mehta-Rajkummar Rao ‘jodi’ has been working smoothly to deliver a series of films which combine meaning with mainstream. Chhalaang, their new collaboration, takes us to small-town Haryana, where a bunch of characters learn to negotiate small-bumps-on-the-road while imbibing big life lessons, and taking the leap of faith." READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE
Chhalaang marks Nushrratt Bharuccha’s first project with Rajkummar Rao and Hansal Mehta. The actor admits that initially, she felt intimidated by the National Award-winning director. But eventually, under Hansal Mehta’s direction, she learnt a lot about herself and the craft of acting. Nushrratt spoke to indianexpress.com ahead of the film’s release. READ THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE
A fan @vvkjp shared on Twitter, "#Chhalaang A usual sports drama which is backed by strong cast and experienced director but the cliches and plain plot makes it just a good one time watch. Rajkumar rao was superb as usual and Nushrratt Owww You were soo beautiful to watch. 3.25/5 @Nushrratt @RajkummarRao."
@Joydas shared via Twitter, "Year 2020 Belongs to @mehtahansal. After Scam 1992, the Movie Chhalaang. What a brilliant, entertaining movie. @RajkummarRao is fabulous. Mind blowing performance by @Nushrratt. And @Mdzeeshanayyub is a rockstar. Saurabh Shukla, Satish Kaushik stole every scene. Must watch."
Chhalaang director Hansal Mehta's latest tweet read, "#Chhalaang is streaming today. It's a simple and entertaining film for the entire family. Load up on some goodies and have fun with this film. Have a great Diwali. And if you haven't watched #Scam1992 do catch up on it. It's work I'm most proud of."
After collaborating on projects like Shahid, Citylights, Aligarh, Omerta and Bose: Dead/Alive, the critically acclaimed director-actor duo of Hansal Mehta and Rajkummar Rao is back with a sports drama titled Chhalaang. In a conversation with indianexpress.com, Rajkummar Rao spoke about the USP of Chhalaang, his bond with Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub and playing another small-town character. READ THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE
Chhalaang star Nushrratt Bharuccha tweeted, "I'm damn sure you're gonna enjoy this class, so don't be late for it!"
The remixed version of Vishal Dadlani and Shekhar Ravjiani's song Deedaar De is a part of Chhalaang. Talking about the same, Shekhar Ravjiani tweeted earlier, "We have been very kindly credited here, only because we composed the original #DeedaarDe in 2004. However, we haven't done this "remix". 🙏🏽 That said, best wishes to the film and team. Thanks for loving our music down the years. #VishalandShekhar @VishalDadlani."
Indian Express film critic Shubhra Gupta gave the film two and a half stars. She wrote in her Chhalaang review, "The first thing that strikes you is the all-round authenticity of settings and accents. Rao, playing a layabout PT teacher in a local school, leads the way. One of the hardest things to pull off is the Haryanvi lingo without sounding like a caricature, and minus a few exceptions, that’s not a problem in this ensemble. Not just Rao, but Baljinder Kaur as his belligerent but loving mother, Naman Jain as his younger brother, and Satish Kaushik as his supportive father, all come off as a realistic family unit." She added, "Hansal Mehta, whose terrific web series Scam 1992 is still making waves, displays a knack of old-fashioned story-telling in this one, which reminds you of Dangal in some of its elements." READ THE FULL REVIEW HERE
Rajkummar Rao tweeted, "Game On! Time to take a Chhalaang! #ChhalaangOnPrime, streaming now on @PrimeVideoIN."
Film trade analyst Sumit Kadel posted on Twitter, "#ChhalaangReview - DUD AFFAIR! Routine & predictable sports drama which fails to amuse & enthrall the audience. Novelty factor which we expect from @mehtahansal & @RajkummarRao duo is missing. Shoddy script & screenplay makes #Chhalaang an ordinary watch. Rating - 2 stars."
The cast of Chhalaang is seen talking about the film in a video. Sharing the same, Hansal Mehta tweeted, "Films get made. In the process, we make memories. "