Chhalaang

There is beauty in small things. Chhalaang is such a thing that entertains and leaves you in a better state than where you started. With Rajkummar Rao as the leading man, I might not be right to call Chhalaang a small film. But if you consider the way the story evolves, it qualifies as a small movie. It may be small but not a cheap one. Nor it is a hazily and lazily made movie.

Chhalaang tells the story of Montu, played by Rajkummar Rao. Hailing from a small town, Montu has spent all his life there. He is currently a physical training teacher in the same school that he studied. He has two friends. One of his friends is his old teacher and his present colleague Shukla. The other is a local confectioner Dimpy. Montu has no ambitions in his life. His life takes a turn when two new people enter his life and his school. The first is the beautiful teacher Neelu and the second is the newly appointed physical training teacher IM Singh. Neelu makes Montu fall in love while IM Singh threatens both job and his love interest.

We have seen similar stories in the past. The underdog with hard word walks away with the cup. Chhalaang also has the same undercurrents. What makes Chhalaang different is that it is a story of a man who has a reawakening. Montu realizes he has been a quitter all his life, and he doesn’t want…