Review: Chhodo Kal Ki Baatein

Director: Pramod Joshi
Cast: Sachin Khedekar, Anupam Kher, Mrinal Kulkarni and Atul Parchure

Life’s full of manic energy. We’re living a life of KRAs and there’s nothing more important than achieving your daily targets. And it is in this organic process that we learn to overlook and neglect the happiness of our loved ones and, of course, our own self. But the meaning of life lies in the smaller things and those insignificant moments of happiness you share with your loved ones. Director Pramod Joshi tries to encapsulate this philosophy in his debut Hindi feature film, Chhodo Kal Ki Baatein.

IT professional Aditya Pradhan (Sachin Khedekar) miraculously lives one Sunday of his life over and over again. The filmmaker uses the premise as a metaphor for the monotony of modern life. Aditya learns the secret of living for today when he meets with the slightly eccentric and mysterious Benaam Kumar (Anupam Kher). Benaam’s trick for a happy life is to stop worrying about the future and start living in the moment. Director Pramod Joshi’s attempt to make meaningful cinema on debut is a commendable feat. But his film suffers because of its repetitive narrative. The story does get a shot in the arm with Kher’s histrionics but as soon as you’re ready to root for the film, it turns into a preacher’s lesson. The script could have been tighter and a lot more innovative. And it also suffers from a huge pot boiler hangover, there’s an item number pushed in your face for absolutely no rhyme or reason.

In the realm of repetitive scenes Sachin Khedekar sparks life with a wide variety of emotions. His well-rounded performance gets you through the film. The ultimate veteran that Anupam Kher is, he juggles through child-like innocence and sage-like wisdom as if they were his Facebook and Twitter accounts. The film’s cause elevates thanks to its experienced actors. The supporting cast of Atul Parchure, Mrinal Kulkarni Anjan Srivastav and Vijay Patkar are like pillars of support.
With the unique subject matter at hand and a wonderful team of actors, Pramod Joshi could have done so much more. Alas, all he manages to do is dole out a barely acceptable film. 

By: Raghuvendra Singh

link: http://www.filmfare.com/reviews/chhodo-kal-ki-baatein-350.html