Director: Abhishek Pathak
Rating: **
Chaman Kohli (Sunny Singh) is a 30-year-old lecturer in Hansraj College Delhi, and due to his receding hairline and growing baldness, he is the butt of jokes at his college campus. His students cruelly make fun of him all the time and all this coupled with his single but not finding anyone to mingle life adds to his frustration and sadness.
Chaman will be turning 31 soon and is looking for a suitable match to get married ASAP as the astrologer (Saurabh Shukla) his family goes to, predicts that Chaman must marry before he turns 31 or he might remain a celibate forever.
His parents panic by the prophecy and Chaman's father Shashi Kohli (Atul Kumar) in desperation makes Chaman join a dating app 'Tinder' and how his life changes when he meets Apsara (Maanvi Gagroo) through the app after that is the film's story.
The fact that it is Abhishek Pathak's debut directorial film is visible throughout the film. Ujda Chaman gives you some good laughing moments in the first half but soon the Rabbit becomes a Turtle.
The story is predictable but that doesn't mean its not good, it is, but the dragged and long screenplay sucks all the fun out of it eventually making you lose interest in the film. The film is 120 minutes long but still feels like a two and a half-hour ride and Mitesh Soni's editing plays an important role in this.
The first half starts on a funny note with dollops of humor but as the film moves forward it slowly becomes dull and boring. The second half gets some support from the full of life Maanvi Gagroo. Her character is mature and comfortable in her skin and looks real as the horizontally challenged Apsara and she is the character you feel for and relate with most rather than the titular 'Chaman'.
Sunny Singh as the frustrated 30-year-old single bachelor is not convincing and his Chaman Kohli looks lifeless most of the time as if even he is not interested in the film. His expressions are plain and he doesn't reflect the situation he is going through, the frustration and desperation of a single bald 30-year-old guy are missing.
Atul Kumar (Shashi Kohli), Grusha Kapoor (Sushma Kohli) and Gagan Arora (Goldy Kohli) as Chaman's father, mother and younger brother are good in their characters and these are the guys that keep the screenplay alive and up.
Saurabh Shukla is there in a brief role as panditji and he is ok. Sharib Hashmi as Chaman's friend and college peon is a sensible character whose story is touching and Karishma Sharma as Chaman's flamboyant and attractive student who he falls for does a good job here.
Coming to the music part, Guru Randhawa's 'Outfit', and 'Twinkle - Twinkle' are enjoyable and fit perfectly in the film. A good background score is also missing which could have provided the much-needed support to the screenplay and story, even if it is there it is unnoticeable
There is also a social message that the director tried to deliver about being comfortable in our own skin which is a noble one but even that doesn't leave an impact on you as you leave the theater.
Overall, Ujda Chaman relies on its good supporting cast and a noteworthy performance from Maanvi Gagroo but the story fails them all. Sunny Singh's charm and heft that he put into his characters in 'Pyaar Ka Punchnama 2' and 'Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety' are missing here and long runtime adds to the viewer's plight. Better watch the film's trailer once more which looks way better than the film or wait till next Friday for 'Bala'.
