Chehre

A snowstorm leads an advertising professional to a sinister mansion as surely as a decades-old German novel leads to the plot of Rumy Jafry's Chehre. The large house in which the stranded Sameer (Emraan Hashmi) takes shelter has a welcoming fireplace, a well-stocked bar and elderly occupants who throw loaded looks in his direction.

CHEHRE is the story of a man who faces a tough time when faced with retired law professionals. Sameer Mehra (Emraan Hashmi) is the chief of an ad agency called Paradoy. He goes to a hill station somewhere in the North for an ad shoot. But due to a work commitment in Delhi, he leaves from the hill town despite heavy snow. On the way, he takes a short cut to Delhi but due to a tree fall, he gets stuck. On top of it, his car suddenly breaks down.

Amitabh Bachchan in a courtroom drama with the addition of Emraan Hashmi instantly makes up for an illustrious Bollywood poster. It's only natural to have high expectations with the project. But before you aim too high with Chehre; cautionary warning: Hold your horses. Rumi Jafry directorial might not exactly be able to tame your anticipation.

Director Rumi Jaffery takes his audience to the world of four friends (Amitabh Bachchan, Annu Kapoor, Raghubir Yadav, and Dhritiman Chatterjee) who are retired court officials comprising a public prosecutor, defense lawyer, judge, and an executioner who play a game which is like a mock trial with a mysterious visitor (Hashmi) who reaches the doorstep of their house due to some unforeseen circumstances.

On the face of it, Chehre should inspire confidence considering it stars Amitabh Bachchan, Annu Kapoor, Dhritiman Chatterjee, Raghubir Yadav and Emraan Hashmi together. But just a few minutes into this snooze fest, we know we are stuck as bad as the poor Mr. Mehra (Emraan Hashmi), who on a desolate road must abandon his car because of a tree that blocks the route and take refuge in the house of 4 "holier than thou" men.

Somewhere in North India, passing through a very make-believe snowfall, we enter a very manor-like house with Sameer Mehra (Emraan Hashmi). Due to the freakish arctic weather, Sameer finds no option but to stay in the house with a couple of retired lawyers, a retired judge, a mysterious caretaker and some 'if a serial killer had a face' person. What do you expect to do for fun amid such law-loving people? Mock trial, Of course!

Four friends cum erstwhile court officials comprising a public prosecutor, defence lawyer, judge and an executioner, regroup at a heritage mansion in an isolated hill station. Reenacting mock trials on stranded strangers who seek refuge in their spooky house happens to be their favourite pastime. The game's fun until things get serious.

A drama that features Amitabh Bachchan, Raghuvir Yadav, Annu Kapoor and Dhritiman Chatterjee, in a conversation-driven made-to-thrill set up, could have been brilliant. Chehre, directed by Rumi Jaffery, misses the mark by a mile and more. It also ends up leaving you with a frustrating feeling of a lost opportunity.

Looking at this dream cast, stalwarts with a sprinkling of newbies comprising so many interesting 'chehre', you go in with more than zero expectations. But 'Chehre' dashes all those comprehensively, because an undercooked, stodgy plot doesn't a good film make, even with the best ensemble in the world.

Four superannuated court officials - the men congregate in an ex- judge's sprawling bungalow in a remote, sparsely populated hill station some 300 kilometers from Delhi - arrogate to themselves the authority to play games with the law and an unsuspecting guest. The result is a whiny, preachy film that begins to feel like a terrible trudge even before it has run one-fourth of its course.

It takes a lot to waste such a gripping premise with poor writing. But director Rumi Jafry's Chehre does just that. The film starts on a promising note, but it soon starts to go downhill. Chehre is so bizarre after a point that even seasoned actors like Amitabh Bachchan, Anu Kapoor, and Emraan Hashmi aren't able to lift the script. While everything might have looked perfect on paper, it just doesn't translate on screen.

Having all the elements of a Hitchcockian old school whodunit, Chehre is about a passion for a mock game of courtroom trial at a heritage mansion amidst a snowy hill station 210 odd miles before Delhi. Four friends Lateef Zaidi (Amitabh Bachchan) a former criminal prosecution lawyer, Paramjeet Singh Bhuller (Annu Kapoor) former criminal defence lawyer, former Justice Jagdish Acharya (Dhritiman Chatterjee) as Judge and former hangman Hariya Jatav (Raghubir Yadav) share a passion of conducting mock court trials.

One Word Review... CHEHRE: ENGROSSING. Captivating screenplay + wonderful performances by the principal cast makes #Chehre an interesting watch... Director #RumyJafry - associated with comedies - springs a pleasant surprise with a dramatic thriller. #ChehreReview