Film: Chakkar

Release Date: 3rd May 2022

Director: Yasir Nawaz

Review By: Hassan Hassan

Witnessing an artist’s experiment with his work and exploring his range is indeed an exciting affair for both the artist and spectator. A Pakistani cinema spectator and lover would surely be attentive to a director venturing into a newer territory, who’s been known to make films of the rather convenient romcom genre. Yasir Nawaz’s Chakkar grabs attention mostly for its unique subject matter among the five Eid releases, and leaves the viewer entertained, for the most part.

The Plot

The whodunit, Chakkar, produced and directed by Yasir Nawaz, follows two identical twin sisters: Zara – a diva whose career is quickly corroding, while creating foes left and right – and the docile Mehreen, a homemaker whose only purpose seems to make her marriage work with her hot-headed husband, played by Ahsan Khan. Mehreen’s husband despises Zara due to her showbiz career, yet the two sisters have a rather strong bond.

Zara suggests a switcheroo with her sister, both to spice up things in her sister’s boring life as well as to seek some respite from the constant reversals of fortune that she’s facing in her career. The flip-flop is however shortly followed by the murder of one sister which triggers a quest and introduces Shehzad (Yasir Nawaz) to find out who committed the murder.

Yasir Nawaz’s Encouraging Step

It is encouraging to witness the willingness of an already established filmmaker known for making successful comedies to experiment with a new genre, one rather unexplored in the past twenty years or so. Yasir also largely sticks to the whodunit nature of the film, instead of adding unnecessary masala elements to cater to cinematic demands, as has happened with a lot of Bollywood and Lollywood murder mysteries since the 90s and beyond. The filmmaker shows palpable signs of maturity.

The Dance Number

A dance number is understandably included since Zara is a film actor who’s shown to work with various artists of the industry. It’s an altogether different matter that this dance number is poorly choreographed by Nigah Hussain on a rather unappealing set (the dance maestro needs to prove that he’s not a director’s choreographer and could deliver better choreography than in the films made by Asim and Nabeel). The presence of a couple of Pakistani stars may be the only saving grace of this song.

The Comedy

The placement of a a goofy character is the only exception in Chakkar, added for comic relief. Advocate Iqbal Cheema, played by the brilliant Ahmad Hussain, turns out to be an important pivot when the climax arrives. The comedy by Iqbal however doesn’t work all the time and he seems over the top. There are bits of gags by Inspector Shehzad and his team of investigators, scattered throughout the narrative to lighten things up in the otherwise serious screenplay. Thankfully, almost all of these jokes work. The comedy is indeed “situational,” and “the comic value suits the character it’s on,” as was once mentioned by co-producer Nida Yasir when she talked about the film in one of her interviews.

Neelam Muneer’s Performance

While most of the actors perform adequately, we feel slightly let down by Neelam Muneer. She has a great track record on TV. However, her performance on silver screen leaves much to be desired. She has yet to display her range as an actor apart from just being a pretty face, or a hot-headed girl who lives on her own terms (Wrong No 2). Her dialogue delivery at many places seems wooden, without showing any range of emotions. Despite having to play a double role, she ends up underperforming both characters, and the result is the lack of audience’s sentiments at large for both characters.

Yasir Nawaz As Shehzad

The same can also be applied to Yasir’s character, in parts. He remains serious at most places and seems uneasy at times, especially where action is required of him. The climax sequence has a hand fight between Yasir and Ahsan which, although, is craftily choreographed, is marred by the over utilization of body doubles.

Ahsan Khan’s Character

Ahsan’s character shows some layering and he performs the role well, but as with the other two leads, his character could have been developed more in the first half, instead of limiting him as an angry man who hates his sister-in-law.

Downsides

Screen time in the first half is wasted where Yasir’s team is shown working on the crime and looking for clues. Their efforts become monotonous, especially when the same background music is played every time his investigators appear on screen. The romantic ballad, although picturised extremely beautifully, seems forced. Amongst the other shortfalls, the background score is amongst the film’s weakest points. The tone of the film could have been further darkened with proper use of lights and color grading, as the serious scenes in the film look unnecessarily well-lit, especially in the first half.

The Pick Up

The second half, however, overcomes this flaw and thankfully appears aptly gritty. Most of the film’s components of surprise and unexpected twists are saved for the last twenty minutes. It keeps you off your seat’s edge and you want to know how things unfold. The final act is put together rather impressively and the film lives up to its name. One of the pivotal characters (Zara) is, however, forgotten while the makers concentrate on the leading men.

Final Word

Despite its visible flaws Chakkar remains successful as an intriguing entertainer. Had the entire film been shot and edited the way its last 30 minutes are shot, it would have been a thoroughly enjoyable affair. However, the fact that the film sets itself apart in terms of its unique genre alone should act in its favour. Yasir’s detour from the romcom to murder mystery is not the only reason to enjoy the film. Chakkar may not be the best murder mystery you have seen, but it should not be one to miss either.

Rating: 3/5