Chopsticks review: Mithila Palkar – Abhay Deol’s Netflix film is easy breezy, but lacks soul

Star Rating:

The evolution of the digital arena has given filmmakers the liberty to present the simplest of stories without adding much ‘masala’ to it. But the Mithila Palkar and Abhay Deol’s Chopsticks undeniably needed a bit of masala. A quest that leads to self-realisation and evolution of the characters is a concept we have seen before. So this film needed something extra to garnish it. Chopsticks is a light-hearted drama that features actors that look relatable, but requires more soul.

What’s it about? Starring Mithila Palkar, Abhay Deol, and Vijay Raaz, Chopsticks is a story set in the heart of Mumbai. A migrant girl named Nirma (yes, after the washing powder) is a Chinese translator and guide, grappling with lack of confidence. With her hard-earned money, she buys a car which gets stolen on the very first day and lands in the hands of a huge mafia. In the meanwhile, someone connects her to a white-collared con-man who calls himself Artist (because if you have conned people for 18 years without getting caught even once, you better call yourself Artist. Not we, the film says this).

How the two set out to look for her car, how the journey builds up her confidence, and how she turns out to be his anchor is the story. The car is just a medium, it is about Nirma’s evolution into a confident girl, and Artist getting a hook to anchor his life to.

Yay: Director Sachin Yardi introduces you to his characters in a nice way in Chopsticks. You meet a girl while she is receiving her brand new car from the showroom. But even when she knows it’s her day, she lacks confidence. She finds a reason to be insecure about the number plate, and it shows how much of  an un-confident individual she is. You meet the guy living in a illegal half-built construction site, and a half built brick and cement living room. But he has a modular kitchen which surpasses any elite test, which instantly tells you of his passion for cooking. Nicely done. And yes, the guy  only wears white shirts.

There are touches of realism. Like when Nirma’s mother over a telephone call tells her not to remove the plastic covers from the seats of the new car, or talking about the family WhatsApp group, connects you to the character. The film addresses and manages to bring home a few such points. Acting performances by Mithila, Abhay and Vijay is on par with what they have done before. Mithila does justice to the extra, different layer of non-confidence.

Nay: As we mentioned before, the concept or idea is something we’ve seen, it needs some garnish or seasoning. While the film is trying to tell you about the underdog mafia, child labour, bad politics, and much more, it just touches each topic briefly and escapes.

The story is simple and sweet but lacks soul. The glue needed to bind everything securely seemed to be missing, and that could only have been bought into the story at the writing stage. The Screenplay by Rahul Awate leaves you wanting, so it doesn’t make the audience root for the story. The end also felt rushed and incomplete.

CineBlitz Verdict: If you are a fan of any of the cast, don’t wait. Chopsticks is a light-hearted entertainer and can be given a watch. It might not make it to your list of favourites or recommendations. But it might just turn out to be an easy weekend watch. And it is on Netflix, so, no need to step out.