By Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram) | Click here for audio version
It’s hard to get a satisfactory English translation for “Chor Nikal Ke Bhaaga”, but let’s settle for “the thief runs away” for now. Written by Siraj Ahmed and Amar Kaushik, the 2023 Netflix Bollywood film directed by Ajay Singh has Yami Gautam in its lead role as Neha, an air-hostess. What starts off as a cheesy-cute romance between an air-hostess and a businessman, morphs into an ambitious mid-air diamond heist, which is scuttled by an unexpected terrorist hijack. All of this is already apparent in the trailer, but the creators manage to surprise viewers in the second-half with some twists that look great onscreen, but are too farcical for reality. But hey, it’s still fun!
Yami Gautam propels this flight drama as Neha, who falls for Ankit (Sunny Kaushal) and decides to become his accomplice in stealing smuggled diamonds when dangerous creditors threaten to harm them. While Yami is charming, courteous, and affable as an air-hostess, I would’ve preferred somebody more magnetic as Ankit, even though Sunny Kaushal does deliver a convincing performance. All the other supporting actors are like cogs in a big wheel, each driving the story forward with their parts. Yami is definitely the star of this crew.
The pace takes a while to pick up, the creators take time to set the back-story of the protagonists before things become intriguing, but once the heist plan is hatched, the film remains steadily interesting. First you are lulled into believing this is perhaps another Bollywood attempt at “Bonny & Clyde”/”Banti aur Babli”, but “Chor Nikal Ke Bhaga” throws in some surprising ingredients that make it more than a simple ‘bad romance’.
The cinematography is frills-free and the flight scenes involving the heist and hostage action were the most gripping parts of the film. While I was expecting a more gritty climax, the ending is quite satisfactory if you are willing to shrug-off all the practical problems and logical loopholes ignored by the writers. The primary theme of the story is on the sentimental side, so it will appeal a lot more to viewers who love a thriller that tugs at their emotions.
It’s a 7 on 10 from me.