Chapali Height 2

Genre: Romantic Thriller

Director: Dpendra K Khanal

Cast: Ayushman Desraj Shrestha Joshi, Mariska Mary Pokharel, Paramita RL Rana, Rear Rai and Muna Gauchan

Being screened at QFX Cinemas

Kathmandu

The theme of revenge has churned out many films. It was once a hot plot. And films are still being made based on the revenge plot. The latest Nepali film Chapali Height 2 is one such film, but the treatment varies. It has been developed as a romantic-thriller. With new young faces and Pashupati Prasad director Dpendra K Khanal helming it, Chapali Height 2 comes across as a clichéd thriller, sans the thrill.

Abhimanyu (Ayushman Desraj Shrestha Joshi) is a rich womaniser. He is partying away his life. Enter Akriti (Mariska Mary Pokharel), a doctor, in his life who resists Abhimanyu’s come-on’s. But as Abhimanyu gets what he wants, he convinces her to go out on a date. But Akriti walks out on him in the middle of the date. She also slaps him when he misbehaves with her. The slap hurts his ego and he later makes a scene at the hospital where she works. But he regrets his action. He apologises to her while slowly changing his ways — for good. The change impresses Akriti. They go out on a date but Abhimanyu starts to see the ghost of a missing person.

The romantic-thriller is divided into two halves — romantic in the first-half, while it turns to be a thriller in the second-half. Focused on the love story, director Khanal disappoints in the first-half by not providing needed suspense and thrill except just before the intermission. The film shifts gears in the second-half, but even then it is not as enticing, engaging and exciting as you would want it to be. Of course there are moments where you are taken aback with a few seconds of fear, but it is not because the scenes and plot are chilling, but because things happens so quickly on the screen.

This below-average story of revenge has been narrated by Khanal in a flashback technique but the film altogether lacks any good elements of a thriller. Whatever it offers in the name of a thriller, it is clichéd and predictable. In the absence of an exciting plot, the film is bland. In terms of theme, script and plot as well as acting, Chapali Height was better than the sequel.

Chapali Height 2 is also disoriented in terms of screenplay. Lacks the thrilling tone and texture, it goes everywhere — comical, romantic and thriller which diminishes the tone of a thriller. Comedy and thriller have been placed in one frame taking away the seriousness and soul of the movie. The good background score doesn’t help the film much.

The film banks Shrestha Joshi’s good looks. And he does look good with that chiselled look and good body. But the same cannot be said about his acting. He ‘acts’ in the film and tries hard to emote. But sadly, he hasn’t been able to get into the skin of his character. His love interest played by Pokharel is no different. She is bland and fails to come across. Paramita RL Rana is a model, basically. Moreover, the characters have not been explored well. Rear Rai as Bullet, who is Abhimanyu’s best friend, tickles funny bone, but he is out of place in the film. His character is forceful.