Chhorii 2 review: A lethargic and spook less watch that gets lost in the shadow of its predecessor

Chhorii 2, starring Nushrratt Bharuccha and Soha Ali Khan, falls pale in comparision to its Hindi original. The Vishal Furia directorial is neither thrilling or impactful in its messagaing and comes across as an average outing in comparision of recent films of horror genre.

Bollywood horror landscape has undergone a welcome transformation in recent years as it has moved beyond simplistic jumpscares and is delivering solid films with improved storylines, VFX and powerful social messaging. Vishal Furia’s Chhorii, a remake of the 2017 Marathi horror Lapacchapi was one of those.

Chhorri 2, is drafted on similar lines but its execution fails to create the kind of impact the Hindi original had on the audience. The film continues from the chilling events of its predecessor, but like the case with most of sequels, this one gets lost in its attempt to get bigger and better. Coming back to the plot of film, Sakshi (Nushrratt Bharuccha) is now living a peaceful life with her daughter Ishani, who has a rare condition that forces her to stay in the dark as she is allergic to sunlight. Despite the financial shortcomings and Ishani’s medical condition, the two are spirited and lead a happy life.

However, one night their calm is shattered when a mysterious spirit appears and lures Ishani away. Returning home to find her daughter missing, a terrified Sakshi seeks help from inspector Samar and their search pulls them back into the same cursed village and sugarcane fields Sakshi once fled. She is forced into an underground chamber where villagers worship a dark and deadly force to please him and Ishani is going to be sacrificed for that in three days. Sakshi must now fight time and terror to rescue her daughter before the sinister ritual is complete. 

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Watch the trailer here!

Almost 30 minutes into this 2 hour 15 minute film, you do not get an exact idea of what the film is about and thanks to its sketchy screenplay, ineffective jumpscares and lazy transitions you feel it’s completely okay to be ignorant of it, unless of course you write a movie review for a living. 

While Chhorii scared the audience and left a lump in their throats, its successor doesn’t even manage to keep you hooked till the climax for which the story was insufferably stretched for. The unnecessary shots and elongated screenplay attempted to create thrill and anxious anticipation but end up proving detrimental to the horror value of the film. 

The film addresses important issues of patriarchy, female foeticide and child marriages through overexploited mediums of human sacrifice to please a dark force amid supernatural threats and a series of (uninteresting) eerie events. The film has its intent in the right place but fails to either spook the audience or leave them with a strong sentiment regarding the purpose of the film. In fact you don’t even realise one of the messages of the film until the post climax slate throws it on your face with insight and government figures surrounding it. 

Delving into more details of this horror film would mean giving out spoilers. However, there are a few scenes in the film that will make you both angry and sad. For instance, look out for the scene which features numerous dead bodies in a dried well or when Ishani is being prepared for the sacrifice, these scenes though less in numbers convey the message of the film and give this story some much needed scathing and unsettling moments.

The saving grace of the film is Soha Ali Khan and the climax of the film. Soha, a shape-shifting priestess named Daasi maa, plays the key antagonist in the film. Her performance is nuanced with good hold over the dialect and body language of the character that elevates the scenes she is a part of. The ever confident Nushrratt plays her part sincerely as Sakshi, however the weak writing and an unexciting character arc deters her from displaying her acting prowess to the fullest. 

Overall, Chhorii 2 is at best an average horror with few and impactless spooks and a predictable story that has nothing new to offer.  

Chhorii 2 is now streaming on Prime Video.

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