Chitkabrey - Shades of Grey Review

Seven couples reunite 15 years after they left college. After making merry at a farmhouse, they plan to go back to their respective homes, only to find themselves trapped by an unknown man who keeps them hostage till they reveal their darkest secrets. As it turns out, this man (Ravi Kissen) was once their college-mate and is now basically taking revenge for all the ragging and misconduct that scarred him for life.

Interesting concept? Certainly yes. Fresh, certainly not because a film with a similar sounding setting, if not the core subject, was seen a couple of years ago in the form of 'Karma Holi and Confessions' (Sushmita Sen, Randeep Hooda). Oh yes, that too was a terrible film but then at least it looked better. On the other hand 'Chitkabrey...' clearly belongs to below-poverty-line zone with everything ranging from sets, cinematography, art design and music being simply terrible.

Now all of that could still have been digested had the story telling being effective. Sadly that's not the case either as the film meanders from being now-what-was-that-moment' to soft porn to being severely disjointed to being utterly purposeless and then eventually largely unfulfilling. In fact so poor is an overall shot taking and the camera movement in the film that it seems like watching a disowned TV serial from the Doordarshan of the 80s.

There are occasional moments of a gripping affair in the making and though scenes featuring a woman making out with another man right in front of her husband or the scene featuring two men making out in a shower or the one where a college student is made to indulge in indecent gestures seem indulgent and exploitative, you ignore that in hope of seeing something interesting as the characters try to find some redemption for themselves.

However the story goes absolutely downhill in the second half with a never ending saga of confessions not just seeming forced but also confusing. Who is sleeping with whose wife, giving birth to whose child, cheating in whose business and manipulating whom becomes not just overtly monotonous but also convenient enough so as to lead to some forced shock value. However instead of that happening, as a viewer you only become restless and end up taking a snooze or too as the never ending boredom continues to prolong itself for those two long wasted hours.

While not even one of the female actors can come up with a single convincing moment of acting in the film, men are not too far behind with only Sanjay Swaraj and Rajesh Shringapure at least seemingly trying to do well. As for Ravi Kissen, he seems to have found himself in a Big Boss zone where he ends up being the voice in command instead of an inmate. However he over acts, and how, which is a surprise because one expects better from him.

Ever heard of a bold film that is touted as a dramatic thriller but instead puts you to sleep? Well, 'Chitkabrey - Shades of Grey' is one such film. Boring to the core, pointless and laden with all around poor acting skills and jerky narration, 'Chitkabrey - Shades of Grey' has to be one of the top five inconsequential films that have been churned out of Bollywood this year. 

Rating: *