Team FC
One of the first things that Neha (Yami Gautam Dhar) tells Ankit (Sunny Kaushal) is, “Stalking is a crime.” What could possibly go wrong with this relationship? Go ahead, draw up a list and then reward yourself when they happen one by one in Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga.
There are two things that abound in Chor Nikal ke Bhaga — twists and coincidences. Unfortunately for writers Siraj Ahmed and Amar Kaushik, the preponderance of the latter makes the former lose its charm.
To its credit, the film does have a plot and without making it obvious, Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga points out how certain biases have been normalised in recent years. While Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga does its rounds of being first a heist, then a hijack and finally a whodunit, there are a few genuinely tense and engaging moments.
For most part, Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga is lacklustre. It’s not awful, but neither is it compelling. Neither Dhar nor Kaushal are able to imbue their characters with any sense of personality. Some of this has to do with the writing, which doesn’t take the time to explore potentially complex characters.
Had the film played up its comic and absurd elements, as classic capers do, it may have worked better. However, Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga takes itself seriously and tries to cover up how deeply steeped it is in silliness by adding a few weepy moments. With its best actors in minor roles that get little screen time, Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga doesn’t have that advantage.