Preeti Arora says that Chillar Party aims at generating laughter, without punching you in the gut. Post YOUR reviews here!A motley group of kids. An endearing canine companion. A waif busy washing cars to earn a living. Middle-class families who are insensitive to both human beings and animals. Politicians acting in an inane and obtuse manner. And kids who feel they can take on the world. All the ingredients necessary to create a melodramatic potboiler have been sourced and secured into the script. Is this one more 'childrens' film with morals woven into the script hoping to see the audience in tears?
Thankfully no. Chillar Party may not be free of the obligatory good versus evil theme which persistently makes its way into this genre (at least in Bollywood) yet it aims at generating laughter, without punching you in the gut.
Starting with the ubiquitous nicknames sometimes provided by parents or colony mates, Mumbai's Chandan Nagar Society has its band of bratty boys named as encyclopedia, secondhand, panvati etc. The reason for these names could be as varied as a personality trait to the family's financial status. A white Pomeranian owned by a cranky senior citizen turns them into dog-haters for the rest of their life. In this scenario enters Phatka, a skinny lad with determination and attitude. Both traits imperative for children who work on the streets of Mumbai and survive by their wits alone. His only companion and friend in the entire world is Bhidu a lovable black and white pariah.
Phatka survives largely on a diet of tea and glucose biscuits and keeps to himself. He sports a ragged yellow t-shirt, doesn't crave for anything but he's devoted to his pooch. The kids direct their anger on both Phatka and Bhidu, but Phatka remains resilient not wanting to give up this job -- his only means of survival.
Then the bratty middle-class kids realize the extent of their nastiness and try hard to make amends. But Phatka isn't a pushover. Will he relent? Or is this senseless feud likely to continue?
Our protagonist Phatka played by Irrfan
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