Producer: Sameer Gaikwad
Starring: Jimmy Shergill, Kim Sharma, Kabir Sadanand, Farid Amiri, Ahmed Khan, Sri Vallabh Vyas, Vinod Nagpal
Music: Anand Raj Anand
n the multiplex era, jungle adventures are the unexplored genre and by far the most untamed, unpopular and unproductive style of filmmaking. Karan Johar's assistant Soham tried to bring out the adventures of "Discovery Channel" into his first solo directorial work 'Kaal' but it proved a damp squib and thereafter such projects failed to find its grounding in the marquee.
The concept has again germinated with low hype. Ironically this time it's another new director Dilip Sood, at the helm of affairs. There have been big outburst of new directors every year and every one tries to impress with his peculiar or innovative trend of filmmaking but only a few succeed. 'Chhodo Na Yaar', an urbane-friendly titled film, proves to be a too meek competitor as compared to 'Kaal' and predictably a disastrous outing at the box office.
There's no harm in placing something unique but the soul of the subject should have a daunting impact on viewers. Unfortunately, it turns out to be a horrifying experience for the filmmakers inasmuch as it showcases such amateurishly conceived subject with some insipid performances.
'Chhodo Na Yaar' is badly marred by incompetent acting, shoddy screenplay, no good scripting and above all poor direction. It's conceived as enthralling adventure saga of three adventure loving guys but it all ends up as amateurish documentary thriller with no promises. Bollywood still needs competent workmanship in this genre with a fine set of actors and a director to give it a thriving boost. Against all odds, this genre has never allured Gen X audiences and never has any filmmaker ventured into this style of filmmaking.
Even the trusted and prodigal Karan Johar admits that 'Kaal' was his career's major disappointment that finally resulted in a tiff between him, his co-producer and actor friend Shah Rukh Khan. On the contrary, 'Chhodo Na Yaar' is a small budget fun-fare where lesser known actors along with amateurishly skilled director try to enforce innovative subject with perplexed scripting to attract multiplex audiences. It largely focuses on the expedition adventurers but when it comes to solving murder mystery, the film goes blank due to lack of good scripting.
The film thrives on what happens when the road you tread turns out to be one to ultimate disaster? It further stretches to extra length when it tries to be introspective about the mysterious fun loving adventure turning out to be the biggest nightmare? In between these two issues, there is grueling murder mystery of a young girl who has been brutally murdered in the hilly regions. 'Chhodo Na Yaar' swivels about these plots but fails to solve the mystery. It culminates into an absurd ending.
They were unaware about the fact that this very myth could change their lives forever. So, they moved out into the jungles for something different and exciting to prove their merit as competent filmmakers. On flip side, there were people like Ravi's girlfriend Rashmi (Kim Sharma), Shiv's father (Vallabh Vyas) and their professor Dr Saxena (Ahmed Khan) who discouraged them from taking such "far-reaching" dangerous steps. Dr. Saxena, an experienced campaigner, had severe doubts about the practicality of choosing such a terrifying subject but the trio was enthusiastic about their plan.
Initially, it was all fun rides for them as they flirted with girls, sang and drank but thereafter it was real disaster in those horrendous jungles. The gory tales about mysterious "mandir" always haunted them. So also the mysterious white "kurta" clad girl often disillusioned their mind and visions in the jungles. It all ends up with Shiv and Sunny falling off from cliff of the valley with Ravi surviving with old memories of this unfortunate expedition.
The climax of the film was amateurishly handled as the solution of the murder mystery was expected in the end but it ends up on a cold note. Jimmy Shergill along with Kim Sharma and "pujari" (Vinod Nagpal) goes up to the site of accident but the film fails to ponder about the murder mystery of the white "kurta" clad girl. It's all an amateurish style of workmanship on almost on all accounts and therefore it turns out to be a messy and chaotic thriller.
Jimmy Shergill proves incompetent again in lifting the momentum and prospects of the film that requires great temperament and flair in performance. The first few sequences where he shows his disgust at being a contemporary actor shows his lack of skills in emoting out. Kabir Sadanand tries to replicate Sharmaan Joshi style of performance of the "Jat" boy from 'Rang De Basanti' but disappoints completely with half baked acting skills.
None of his scenes offers any moment of laughter and thrill. Rather this irritates with his tattered Haryanvi accent. Farid Amiri is expressionless in delivering emotions and proves again to be a side-kick material. Kim Sharma has negligible scope of proving herself in her miniscule role.
Anand Raj Anand's music has some sparks in tracks like "Talwar Re" but the rest of them are tediously boring and time consuming. Sham Kaushal's action skills work well in the film. Cinematography (Pushan Kriplani) works methodically with the scripting of the film and captures the hilly regions with great skills.
'Chhodo Na Yaar' is expected to be a non-starter from the day one and will be a losing preposition on all accounts for its producers and distributors.
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