Chhaava Review: Vicky Kaushal shines in a gripping historical epic!

Based on the namesake novel by Shivaji Sawant, Chhaava is a riveting biopic of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the great Maratha warrior king, who succeeded his legendary father Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and kept the ideology of 'Hindavi Swarajya' burning...

Known for his extraordinary bravery and valour, Sambhaji Maharaj was called 'Chhaava', which means a lion's cub in Marathi. Incidentally, he had fought a lion bare handed once; the fight makes it to the film as well but in a different manner.

While the basic story of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj is known as a school history lesson, writer- director Laxman Utekar has added many layers to it, delving in to the political angle behind Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj's succession and the Guerrilla warfare mastered by the Marathas, which we have read about but never seen before. Truly, those action sequences are the film's highlight and a must watch on the big screen. Superb!!

The performances are also super fine. Vicky Kaushal invests himself totally in the titular character and emerges victorious. It ranks amongst his best performances till date. Akshaye Khanna as Alamgir Aurangzeb, plays the Mughal Emperor to perfection; his brooding nature and soft-spokeness contrasting eerily to his inherent cruelty and sadism.

The supporting cast including Ashutosh Rana, Divya Dutta and Vineet Kumar Singh are fantastic. Rashmika Mandanna playing Sambhaji Maharaj's wife Yesubai, is earnest. On the other hand, Diana Penty whiles away a good opportunity got in the negative role of Aurangzeb's daughter Zinat-un-Nissa.

Chhaava scores high in the technical department as well. Particularly, the last forty five minutes elevate the movie to an altogether high. The inhuman torture sequence actually reminded me of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ (2004). It's that impactful and heart wrenching!!

Definitely worth a theatre visit, book your tickets pronto for Chhaava. They are filling up fast.

Ratings on some key aspects* :
1. Acting : 4/5
2. Direction : 4/5
3. Music : 3.5/5
4. Story, Screenplay and Dialogue : 4/5
5. Cinematography : 4/5
6. Editing : 3.5/5
7. Costume Design : 4/5
8. Special Effects and VFX : 4/5
9. Action : 4.5/5
10. Production Quality : 4/5

#SNRating for #Chhaava : 4 stars out of 5.

- Sumeet Nadkarni

* - The overall film rating is not a simple average of all ratings on key aspects but a weighted average of the ratings where some crucial aspects (like direction, acting, story and screenplay etc) are assigned more weightage than others.

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#SNRatings barometer:
1 star = Poor
1 & 1/2 star = Below average/ Avoidable
2 stars = Average
2 & 1/2 stars = Above average/ Risk it
3 stars = Good enough/ Endurable
3 & 1/2 stars = Definitely worth a watch
4 stars = Very good
5 stars = Masterpiece/ Outstanding.

2025 SNRatings. 

About Sumeet Nadkarni:

Sumeet Nadkarni is a Chartered Accountant by profession and a self-styled film critic by passion. He reviews Bollywood movies and OTT releases on his popular personal blog #SNRatings. His film-related articles have appeared in leading publications in India. With a keen eye for cinematic detail and a knack for insightful critiques, Sumeet brings a unique perspective to the world of Indian cinema. Follow him for the latest Bollywood insights and unbiased film reviews. #FilmCritique #BollywoodReviewer

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