Chhatriwali Review: Family Packed Sex-Ed Class Lays Down the Rudimentary Ground Rules

Chhatriwali headlined by Rakul Preet Singh, and starring Sumeet Vyas, Satish Kaushik, Rajesh Tailang, Dolly Ahluwalia and Prachee Shah Paandya alongside others has received a digital premiere on ZEE5 on January 20, 2023. Though sporting the backdrop of a romantic-comedy, the Hindi film offers a social commentary around the discussion, or rather the hushed silence surrounding talks about sex education and safe sex.

It has been directed by Tejas Prabhaa Vijay Deoskar and produced by Ronnie Screwvala, with story, screenplay and dialogues by Sanchit Gupta and Priyadarshee Srivastava.

The official synopsis of the movie reads:

This ZEE5 Original movie revolves around Sanya, a chemistry genius who decides to use her skills to educate the youth on safe sex and bring about a much-needed social change while looking for a job. 

-Chhatriwali Review Does Not Contain Spoilers-

Set in Haryana, Rakul Preet Singh plays the role of Sanya, an unemployed Chemistry genius, who soon finds a job as the quality control head in a condom factory. Having qualms against the opportunity initially, she keeps it a secret. On meeting with a sour association of stigma with talks related to safe sex, she realises the importance of her work and initiates a conversation around the same in her community, which is met with varied responses and misinterpretations of the subject.

While opening the channels for discussion on the matter, the movie allows people across ages to delve into it through the medium of comedy, which isn’t misplaced, and never pops out at the expense of the serious demeanour of the issue being raised therein. It strikes a balance between entertainment, with some mildly added masala to keep the spirit upbeat, while also conveying the issue at hand through a precise channel.

Songs add on to the ‘masala’ aspect of the vision, but emerge as misfits, never endowing the plot with an in-depth meaning. It’s almost as if they’ve been placed in to check the boxes for all elements that makes a Bollywood film, more Bollywood. However, even though the movie has been packaged as a romantic-comedy, the main couple’s (characters played by Rakul Preet and Sumeet Vyas) relationship never drives us away from the more important discussions, and that way, it fits the bill as per actors’ claims that it tackles the conversation around sex education sensitively and with a vision closer to the ground reality.

The questions asked by students therein burst a sense of deja vu on to us due to their relatable familiarity that nearly all of us have witnessed during our school years, while studying (or more appropriately, not studying) the chapter of reproduction in class, often brushed away as an ‘optional’ concern.

Drama ensues, and eventually becomes the driving force of the storyline. The same theme soon encompasses a society, and isn’t reduced to one woman’s problem. However, as they say, it takes two to tango, and in some situations you’d feel the need to push some characters to speak their mind instead of shushing the situation itself or the ones willing to voice it.

Nevertheless, it doesn’t compel you to hate them per se because the whole thing is a reflective reminder of the domestic scenes captured in a common household. In that sense, while certain dialogues and moments are served with a slight hint of corny comedy, you still won’t necessarily shun them because they’re suggestive of the underlying taboo which throws on a veil on the concerning topic of discussion.

As a result, the movie’s narrative agrees with how Rakul Preet Singh has spoken about it not being too preachy due to its approach towards the matter. Even her character doesn’t emerge out of this a superhero meant to be idolised or raised to a pedestal. She rather comes out as an icon who understands the problem plaguing her own household, and turns it into a conversation starter that needs to be amplified to the joint society in her proximity, and that perhaps is the simplest and best vision carrying the movie.

Sanya, a product of the new generation, has the fire to ignite a revolution, but on being persuaded by her sister-in-law, she strikes a balance with the perceived domestic aspect. The most affecting bit is that she doesn’t become the voice of championing or advocating the predicament faced by her sister-in-law, rather she opens up the floor for her to speak on her own. To some extent this also brings the movie to a tad bit soap-operatic finish which magically resolves everything in the end. Ultimately leading us to ponder over the fact that until and unless the same question doesn’t become a detrimental attack to one’s family, it will never be an issue for us at all.

Although this is problematic on some levels, Chhatriwali has deliberately picked it up as a softening blow to counter the frivolous fight incited by unaware masses, which may pull some scoffing comical laughs out of you due to its timely resonance with the reality. Finally, with this film, it’s the thought that counts.

Chhatriwali: Final Thoughts

Some dramatic interludes may make you question as to what the big deal is, and that sums up the whole scene around the topic. We either excessively push it as a matter of grave concern or we keep it wrapped up in those pages of a book that are never meant to be opened. So, tactfully, Chhatriwali takes this up in hopes of normalising it (through a dramatic course familiar to the Indian audience) instead of according the matter of sexual education and health with a hyper purview, as it has been for a long while.

Does the movie help bridge that gap between awareness and the ones eluding it in the name of retaining their conventional and patriarchal sense of morality and virtues? Not to the fullest extent, but it helps kickstart the conversation by opening the doors to a reality that should’ve long been normalised and spoken about, and appropriately that is what the story envisions of achieving as well.

Chhatriwali is now streaming on ZEE5.

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