Chintuji stars the veteran actor Rishi Kapoor, who after a long time is the solo lead of a film. Though the star might be well past his glamorous avatar, his act can give many new comers a run for their money.

The film is set in a conflicting geography of two villages Hadbadedi and Triphala, that are always in a race against each other, the former being the good vs latter, the bad. Arun, the local newspaper’s head is the torchbearer of the good, fighting for their identity. The struggle continues until one day, Rishi Kapoor, who plays the character of the obnoxious Chintuji, comes back to his place of birth Hadbadedi, bringing along with his nostalgia, a new reason for conflict between the inhabitants of the two villages. Things take a turn when love blossoms between Chintuji’s glamourous PR agent and Arun, with a tempting offer from the politicking neighboring village, which leaves Chintuji in the midst of a new twist. Does the Superstar leave the awe struck inhabitants troubled yet again?

The plotline is reminiscent of the clichés that have been attempted before in the Hindi film history. What comes to the rescue though is a few well thrown in characters, who manage to keep you upright with their performances. The light moments in the film, notably on a few politicians are a breather.

As for the film, Ranjit Kapoor’s Chintuji could have becoming a much more entertaining fare than what meets the eye. The story could have had some punch; however, its execution fails to live up to it. At some points, the film becomes loose, citing the incident where the Mera Naam Joker's heroine Kseniya Ryabinkina, the Russian actress seeks to transform the actor. Yes, it does take you back to the good old days, but does not seem to be in line with the film. The screenplay is unimaginative, but had the potential to work well. Though the song Akira Kurosawa might reflect the mightiest names in world cinema, the film’s narrative and the sentiment of the song are not in sync.

Though Rishi Kapoor might be playing the lead, he could have done a better film, given his stature in the film industry. Nevertheless, he still remains the saving grace and manages to string it together till the end. So for all those who are keen on catching the film, Rishi Kapoor is the man. But if you want to grab one of his more stellar performances in recent times, get yourself a DVD of Luck By Chance. He cracks it and how!

Chintuji at the end is just another Friday release which has a slippery script and an aging hero, being a perfect cocktail to just pass some time with a bucket of popcorn.

Sameer Dagga