Roop Nagar Ke Cheetey

The much anticipated movie starts off as a shallow bromance fueled by misogynistic stereotypes and indulgent scenes of both protagonists staring into scenic locations. As one straps in for another visually stunning yet ultimately cookie cutter drama, Roop Nagar ke Cheetey surprises you with its nuanced approach toward storytelling.

Girish (Kunal Shukla) and Akhil (Karan Kishore) are a modern era Jai-Veeru, living their college life peppered with several chest thumping moments of mischief and bravado. Vihan Suryavanshi manages to dodge the trope of perfect protagonists fighting the good fight and creates multifaceted characters that, while flawed, manage to be lovable nonetheless. The plot of the movie manages to age with the characters. What starts as misguided teens with problematic viewpoints becomes an honest exploration of morality and consequences of one’s ego.

Both Kishore and Shukla give standout performances. Their onscreen friendship feels genuine and you grow to care about their wins and losses. The rest of the cast are written as background characters in their journey. Hemal Ingle plays her role with ease and Mugdha Chaphekar makes her presence felt even in her limited screen time.

Roop Nagar ke Cheetey suffers a little due to its pacing, but tells an honest story with no pretense of moral education. The set design is especially note-worthy resulting in an aesthetically beautiful film.

One hopes to see more films like these in the near future, that tell real stories with multi-layered characters. Roop Nagar ke Cheetey is a good watch for audiences of all ages.