Chitrangada Review

Chitrangada Review, What’s Behind: Heroine Anjali disappeared from limelight after SVSC and Geethanjali is back at game with this much delayed film in G Ashok direction. Let us see, what is the thrill and horror all about?

Chitrangada Story: Chitra (Anjali) is a professor in Psychology researching on paranormal activities. Unfortunately, she falls prey to the dead soul of Raja Ravi Verma (Deepak) who was murdered in USA by his own wife Sarala Devi (Sindhu Tolani). What’s more distracting is, Chitra is the reincarnation of Ravi Verma. In search to find her own identity and kill Sarala Devi, begins the journey of Chitra in USA. Why Ravi Verma was killed 25 years ago and what’s his actual flashback forms the rest.

Chitrangada Artists and Technicians: Coming to G Ashok’s storyline, there is enough meat in it but his screenplay and direction wanders on wrong lines keeping the audience unengaged. Many scenes and plenty of episodes look pale and ineffective. Without retaining a horror and thrilling feel, Ashok jumped from one scene to other in a hurry. Half baked characters and inadequately written screenplay keeps the film to suffer on every step. Dialogues are though good at times, the way artists uttered them led to discouragement. Camera work by two teams (one used in India and other in USA) failed to bring compatibility in on-screen narration. Editing is a bag of blunders and the less we discuss, more is healthy. Selva Ganesh music for songs and BGM is laughable. Technically, the film falls flat and production standards from Sridhar Gangapatnam, Rahman are fine.

Onto artists, Anjali is a damn misfit. Her lesbian characteristics are awkward to watch. All the scenes shot on Anjali in ladies hostel are very poor. This is not an appropriate choice by Anjali. Hero Deepak aka Arjun Bajwa looked royal in his own screen space. Sindhu Tolani tried to consolidate the lapses with a good flashback. Jayaprakash, Raja Ravindra were mere dummies. Comedians Sapthagiri and Sudheer failed miserably. Rest of the artists no need to mention.

Chitrangada Advantages:

- Flashback Story

Chitrangada Drawbacks:

- Screenplay, Direction

- Anjali

- No Thrills

- No Horror

- Miserable Execution

- Music

Chitrangada Rating Analysis: On any given standards, this is not the way to execute a horror thriller. May be due to severe time gaps in commencement of production schedules, G Ashok fumbled to get a solid product like his best film Pilla Jamindar unsupported by weak technical crew and hopeless casting.

Movie begins with murder of Deepak and then titles roll. Introducing Anjali with a song isn’t a right move. College and hostel episodes are never freaky. Jayaprakash’s thread looks silly before Anjali takes shabby challenge to take USA flight. Encounters in USA are frail and frustrating before the interval block. 

Into second half, there is nothing much change in approach. Sapthagiri’s comedy is more of a foolish stuff. Though Ashok made an attempt to fill all the loopholes during pre climax by telling a meaningful flashback, it was too late by then. Climax is on expected lines and we look at exit doors in hurry.

‘Chitranagda’ is not a worthwhile product from G Ashok and Anjali. Though got an exciting storyline, none of them were honest at job. Resultantly, a half baked film with below average standards came out. CJ goes for 2 stars just for the sake of calling it as a horror and thriller film. Anjali can forget this as soon as possible.

Cinejosh Chitrangada Verdict: Anjali Misses By Miles

                                                   Cinejosh Chitrangada Rating: 2/5   

                                                                                         Reviewed by Srivaas