Dinesh Kamath's column 'Movie World: ‘Chopsticks’ is a film without ‘formula’ based content' that was published in Newsband

Movie World

‘Chopsticks’ is a film without ‘formula’ based content

By Dinesh Kamath

The Hindi film industry is still running behind the usual "formula" based content. There is no experimentation being done. Actor Abhay Deol believes the web space is a "godsent opportunity" because it provides opportunity to experiment.

In Hollywood, their drama became so good on TV that now you only see superhero films releasing (in theatres) as cinema has become all about a spectacle. If you want to watch good drama, then you watch it on HBO or Netflix.

In India, films have never actually gone beyond the formula. But there are expectations for Bollywood to match up. The 43-year-old actor, was himself a part of Shah Rukh Khan-starrer Zero, which fell flat at the box office.

The audience is done with "larger than life stories" in Hindi films. That’s the reason why Abhay is making his digital debut with Netflix’s Chopsticks.

In Sachin Yardi-directed Chopsticks, Abhay will be seen playing a conman alongside actress Mithila Palkar. This is not the first time Abhay will be seen playing a conman. It is a role he memorably played in Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye!. This (Chopsticks) character is far more suave and urban from the Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! character. And for him, stealing is something he does with a passion. It's something he's good at.

Chopsticks is an Indian Hindi-language comedy drama film directed by Sachin Yardi and produced by Ashvini Yardi. It stars Abhay Deol and Mithila Palkar in the lead roles. The film is a story of a woman who is referred to an enigmatic con man who agrees to help recover her stolen car from a thug for free, and how it brings about change in their lives. It was released on 31 May 2019 worldwide on Netflix.

The film has Abhay Deol as Artist, a con man, Mithila Palkar as Nirma Sahastrabuddhe, a Mandarin translator, Vijay Raaz as Faiyaz Bhai, Benafsha Soonawalla as Ananya, Achint Kaur as Zacharia and Narendra Khatri as Farooq, a caterer.

Rohan Naahar of the Hindustan Times rates the film with two out of five stars. He feels it has muddled story which is low on comedy, and writes, "Like the inconvenient cutlery it is named after, there’s little reason to try it if there are alternatives to be found." Shrishti Negi of the News18 also rates the film with two out of five stars and opines that the film never rose to its true potential. Anupama Chopra of Film Companion opines that the humour inherent in a sitcom has not come out as the film scenes are preposterous.

The movie talks about what happens when a young girl, a mysterious con man, and a goat-loving goon indulge in a cat-and-mouse chase to retrieve a stolen car? This is what unfolds in Netflix's latest Indian original offering, Chopsticks, starring Abhay Deol and Mithila Palkar. The film has been written and directed by Sachin Yardi (Kya Super Kool Hain Hum).

This is the plot. The film talks about a cat-and-mouse chase in pursuit of a stolen car. An under-confident yet sweet young girl buys herself a brand new car from her hard-earned money, only to get it stolen the same evening. The rest of the film chronicles her quirky but transformative journey to retrieve her car from a local gangster, with the help of a charming con man.

Chopsticks, in a way, is like a start-up idea that sounds cool, to begin with, but when put to action, it fails to make a mark. The film's initial half-an-hour is engaging, and promises an entertaining ride.

Abhay and Mithila play their top game. Mithila Palkar (Little Things, Karwaan) as the shy and naive Nirma Sahastrabuddhe, working as a Mandarin translator in Mumbai, delivers a sweet and memorable performance. She is enjoyable in almost all her scenes. On the other hand, Abhay Deol, as an eccentric and charming con man, is effortlessly compelling. For someone who has pulled off way harder roles, this one is an easy picking. Vijay Raaz and Arun Kushwah are great. Vijay Raaz as the short-tempered local gangster, Fayyaz bhai, who, for some unknown reason, is obsessed with goats, is flawless as usual. Having done uncountable roles of this kind in the past, this is an easy turf for the Gully Boy actor. Arun Kushwah also appears in a small role, in the form of a saving grace in this otherwise boring film.

Netflix has aggressively targeted India for growth and the new projects will follow the critically acclaimed crime drama series Sacred Games, upcoming cricket drama show Selection Day and the eagerly anticipated historical epic series Baahubali: Before the Beginning based on the hugely successful film franchise.

Here is some more information about the characters of the film Chopstic. Nirma Sahastrabuddhi (Mithila Palkar) is an introvert, under-confident Mandarin translator, who tends to vie with her fellow colleagues for their boss’ attention in order to grab more important opportunities at work. Even though she is regular and proactive in her job, she ends up showing Dharavi and Dhobi Talao to foreign tourists. While her colleagues deal with international bankers at five stars. Her less developed vocabulary (‘work outing’) and poor pronunciation-- she pronounces the ‘L’ letter in Salmon-- always prove a formidable obstacle to her success. She is scared and awkward in social interactions as well, until a tragedy triggered her to step up and communicate with the most random people under the sun. Soon, she embarks on a thrilling adventure when she enlists an attractive conman Mr Artist (Abhay Deol) who eventually becomes her guide toward recovering her stolen car from a Mumbai thug.

Abhay Deol’s character is so cool that he can open any safe or lock without the keys. How? Well, he believes that every lock has a heart and he simply needs to hear its heartbeat to open it. Deol’s comical smirk of complicity is appealing, and soon we see Nirma and he are hanging out, having fun and not admitting to themselves or each other their growing tenderness.

There’s a goat-loving gangster, too, in the movie— played by incredibly exceptional Vijay Raaz. However, his scenes are only limited to giving out weird punishments to people.

Chopsticks uses its premise to explore a variety of themes, including loneliness, social phobia and romance. But it only pretends to work towards a climax which turns out to be wholly disappointing.