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Chhodon Naa Yaar
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'Chhodon Naa Yaar' -Skip It

By Aparajita Ghosh
Film critic, ApunKaChoice.Com

Don’t be misled by this movie’s title or its promos. ‘Chhodon Naa Yaar’ is not a college caper as it appears.

The movie begins in a college campus, but then it strides into the jungles of North India and takes the shape of a horror flick. It seems director Dilip Sood has tried to rehash and Bollywoodize ‘The Blair Witch Project’ in ‘Chhodon Naa Yaar’. The former was about three friends who go in a forest to unravel the truth behind the mythical Blair witch. The story of ‘Chhodon Naa Yaar’ is on the same lines.

Moreover,

just as the suspense was never revealed and many questions were left unanswered in ‘Blair Witch Project, so does ‘Chhodon Naa Yaar’ end on an abrupt note, leaving many loose ends.

The movie has Jimmy Shergill , Kabir Sadanand and Farid Amiri playing three college friends. Kim Sharma plays Jimmy’s love interest.

Ravi (Jimmy), Shiv (Kabir) and Sunny (Farid) are about to graduate from a Mass Communication College in Delhi. As their diploma project, the three friends decide to make a film on a myth about a ghostly spirit in the jungles of north India.

Ravi’s girlfriend doesn’t approve of the idea. But Ravi likes to explore the unexplored.

The friends set off to unravel the myth. They enter the dense forest. Soon, what begins as a fun trip transforms into a nightmare for them.

Without spoiling much suspense for the readers, let me state that there is a spirit that hounds the friends in the forest.

Director Dilip Sood does not attempt an out-and-out horror flick but try to play safe by adding other ingredients as well. There is a bit of romance, comedy and campus masti in the initial reels of the first half. The proceedings get serious when the friends encounter strange happenings inside the jungle. And there is a big jolt just before the interval.

Any good horror film plays on the imagination of the viewers. But director Dilip Sood doesn’t believe in this. Unlike ‘Blair Witch Project’, the spirit in ‘Chhodon Naa Yaar’ is revealed, albeit not in the Keshu Ramsay’s gory style.

The movie’s cinematography and background score complement each other well to create the eerie ambience. The songs, however, are completely uncalled for and appear deliberately squeezed in the narrative.

Jimmy Shergill gives a decent enough performance. Kabir Sadanand overacts. Kim Sharma is pretty but doesn’t have a meaty role. Farid Amiri is just about okay.

Had the movie’s script been taut and had there been a deft execution by the director, ‘Chhodon Naa Yaar’ would have been much better. However, the film does have a couple of scary moments that will make your heart skip a beat or two.

Rating: *1/2

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