Chhaava
deserves
2
stars
for
the
historically
half-baked
film
that
it
is,
but
4
stars
just
for
its
attempt
on
making
a
film
on
Chhatrapati
Sambhaji
Maharaj,
observes
Prasanna
D
Zore.
This
is
the
age
of
action
masala
films.
Audiences,
these
days,
call
them
family
entertainers
or
just
paisa
vasool
entertainers.
Chhaava,
produced
by
Dinesh
Vijan
and
directed
by
Laxman
Ramchandra
Utekar,
fits
the
bill
where
history,
facts
—
and
controversies
—
are
conveniently
sidestepped
just
so
that
box
office
collections
keep
ringing
in
and
the
film
grosses
multiples
of
Rs
100
crore
(Rs
1
billion).
When
biographical
sketches
of
iconic
history-makers
—
Tanaji
(who
on
Maharashtrian
earth
claps
and
whistles
when
Tanaji
kills
Uday
Bhan?)
was
first
and
now
Chhaava
builds
on
the
defiant
valour
of
Chhatrapati
Shivaji’s
son
Sambhaji,
who
was
mercilessly
tortured
by
Aurangzeb
—
are
made
without
any
passion
for
historic
perspective
or
facts,
the
result
is
disappointment.
Vijan-Utekar
have
done
their
bit
to
exploit
history
and
acts
of
bravery
against
all
odds
of
the
most-neglected
Maharashtra
icon
Sambhaji
to
mint
box
office
success.
So
there
are
over-the-top
fighting
scenes,
flying
and
swashbuckling
warriors
(even
Ashutosh
Rana,
as
the
indomitable
army
general
Hambirrrao
Mohite
gets
to
fly
and
fight),
swords
and
bows
and
arrows
swishing
and
piercing
through
bodies,
and
blood
splattering
all
over
the
screen
in
five-six
battle
scenes.
The
battles
are
against
800,000
soldiers,
50,000
horses
and
30,000
elephants
of
the
Mughal
army
led
by
Aurangzeb
(Akshaye
Khanna),
as
they
barge
into
the
Deccan
to
finish
off
Sambhaji,
the
Maratha
Empire
and
Shivaji’s
‘soch‘,
as
Aurangzeb
mutters
under
his
breath.
The
film
begins
with
Sambhaji
and
his
Marathas
invading
Burhanpur
and
burning
it
down
to
ashes.
The
action
scene
between
thw
Maratha
army
and
the
Mughal
army
commandeered
by
Khan
Zaman
makes
Sambhaji
look
like
the
cartoon
character
Chhota
Bheem,
especially,
when
he
spins
in
the
air
and
aims
his
fall
to
break
the
jaw
of
a
lion,
an
act
which
has
no
documented
historical
evidence.
The
Battle
of
Burhanpur
(in
1681,
soon
after
Sambhaji
became
the
Chhatrapati
of
the
Maratha
empire
when
he
was
crowned
on
January
16
that
year)
was
not
the
only
battle
that
made
Sambhaji
a
force
to
reckon
with.
But
Utekar
and
his
team
of
writers
and
researchers
are
found
wanting
in
depicting
the
rise
of
Sambhaji
as
they
give
a
pass
to
the
Battle
of
Kalyan
(1682-1683),
Battle
of
Panhala
and
Vishalgad
(1684),
his
naval
battle
against
the
Siddis
during
the
siege
of
Janjira
(1682-1685),
to
mention
just
a
few,
that
he
fought
himself.
When
Vijan-Utekar
and
Vicky
Kaushal,
who
plays
Chhaava
aka
Sambhaji
Raje,
kept
making
the
point
that
the
Maratha
king
fought
127
battles
and
won
all
of
them
during
his
reign
between
1681
and
1689
in
the
film’s
teaser,
one
expected
the
160.50-minute
film
to
showcase
some
of
Sambhaji’s
most
remarkable
campaigns.
While
Utekar
spends
full
10
minutes
portraying
the
gore
and
blood
at
the
Battle
of
Burhanpur
he
misses
out
on
showcasing
Sambhaji’s
shrewdness
as
a
military
strategist,
his
linguistic
skills,
his
knowledge
of
guerilla
warfare
and
his
skills
as
a
guerilla
fighter.
While
one
admits
that
it
is
not
possible
to
pack
in
so
much
depth
to
a
character
in
a
film
—
after
all,
Chhaava
is
a
film
and
not
a
Web
series
—
one
cannot
forgive
the
filmmakers
for
brushing
over
important
battles
that
made
Sambhaji
who
he
was.
While
Chhaava
is
a
historically
half-baked
film,
one
has
to
give
a
big
thumbs-up
to
the
makers
for
attempting
to
make
Sambhaji
a
national
icon.
A
thumbs-up
also
to
Utekar
for
sparing
the
audience
the
blood
and
gore
and
merciless
torture
during
the
30-minute
climax
where
a
captured
Sambhaji
is
chained,
his
eye
gouged
out
and
his
tongue
cut
even
while
making
the
point
that
for
all
his
recklessness
and
mis-steps,
Sambhaji
remained
undefeated
and
unbowed
before
Aurangzeb.
The
climax
is
vividly
symbolic
in
its
treatment
of
how
it
was
not
Sambhaji
who
suffered
the
pain
of
physical
torture
but
a
broken
and
helpless
Aurangzeb
who,
despite
all
the
force
and
violence
he
heaped
upon
Sambhaji,
couldn’t
succeed
in
making
Sambhaji
surrender
before
him.
Given
the
times
that
we
live
in,
it
would
have
paid
dividends
for
any
director-producer
to
use
the
film
to
spew
communal
venom
and
spread
hatred
but
not
Utekar-Vijan.
A
mighty
thank
you
for
that
as
well,
sirs!
Talking
about
Chhaava‘s
music,
A
R
Rahman
has
become
monotonous
with
his
melodies
after
Lagaan.
Vicky
Kaushal
and
Rashmika
Mandanna
have
done
a
good
job
as
the
Chhatrapati
and
his
Maharani.
Divya
Dutta
is
completely
wasted
as
Sambhaji’s
scheming
half-mother.
Chhaava
deserves
two
stars
for
the
historically
half-baked
film
that
it
is,
but
four
stars
just
for
its
attempt
on
making
a
film
on
Sambhaji.
Chhaava
Review
Rediff
Rating:
