Chidiakhana movie review: A cliched effort

Sooraj (Ritvik Sahore) and his stoic mother (Rajeshwari Sachdev) arrive in Mumbai in search of a fresh start. All we know about them is that they are forced to move overnight from one town to another before they have time to really put roots down. Who are they? Why are they on the run? Will Sooraj, who loves football, be able to overcome his difficulties?

A sports film set in a Mumbai slum with an underdog at the heart of it, is an old trope: we know how it will end. If the backstory of our protagonist had been addressed with some depth, it would have added in a much-needed differential. As Sooraj goes about trying to find friendly faces in a rough environment — a tough-talking rival school-mate (Jayesh Kardak), a good-hearted goon (Prashant Naryanan), a land-grabbing neta (Govind Namdeo), a football field about to be sacrificed to greedy sharks — we see him having nightmares featuring wild beasts. It’s about the only potentially interesting element in this predictable plot, but it doesn’t get adequately explored.

The actors do their bit. There’s a pleasing sincerity about Sahore, and Sachdev and Narayanan are both capable of breathing life into a scene. But with so little lift from the writing, they all come off cliched. As does the film.

Chidiakhana movie cast: Ritvik Sahore, Prashant Naryanan, Rajeshwari Sachdev, Govind Namdeo, Jayesh Kardak
Chidiakhana movie director: Manish Tiwary
Chidiakhana movie rating: 1.5 stars