Both the Marathi horror film Lapachhapi (2017) and its Hindi remake Chhorii (2021) were directed by Vishal Furia. Furia returns with a sequel that picks up seven years after the earlier story.
Chhorii 2 begins in the same sugarcane fields that were intrinsic to its predecessor, indicating that Sakshi’s connection with the village – where she had left her husband for dead – has not been entirely severed. Sakshi (Nushrratt Bharuccha) is now a teacher and single parent raising her seven-year-old daughter Ishani (Hardika Sharma). Ishani has a condition where she burns instantly in the sun and is therefore kept perpetually in a darkened room at home or covered from head to toe when stepping outside.
But fear follows Sakshi and eventually, vengeance catches up. From the easy-going life they enjoyed for a while, mother and daughter are entrapped in a labyrinth of tunnels surrounded by apparitions, ghouls and unspeakable horrors. Sakshi tries not just to save her own daughter but to fight on behalf of all those mothers and daughters who have been victims of age-old superstitions, rituals, and societal evils.
Soha Ali Khan makes an interesting appearance as Daasi, a high priestess who serves an ancient, gnarly and unrelenting demon. Daasi is the evil force that stands between Sakshi and Ishani, enabling the demon and perpetuating cruel traditions.
The film juxtaposes the two women’s approaches: while Sakshi entertains Ishani with bedtime tales about girls with superpowers, Daasi lures the child with stories about how a special girl can gain an immortal prince’s favour.
Another new character is Samar (Gashmeer Mahajani), a police inspector who protects Sakshi and Ishani and becomes Sakshi’s unrelenting, if somewhat benign, ally.
Furia limits the jump scares – and in any case, the ghostly apparitions and the menacing man in the cave lose their scary edge quickly. Where the filmmaking scores is in the production: a dungeon that is a maze of horrors, the lighting and camerawork, the eerie music that sets the mood. When used correctly, sound design is a vital tool in crafting a successful horror film, and it is used effectively in Chhorii 2.
Nushrratt Bharuccha throws herself into a physically and emotionally exacting role as the harrowed but unexpectedly brave mother. Soha Ali Khan conveys hints of doubt, empathy and remorse with subtlety, while also projecting her character’s supernatural powers. Hardika Sharma complements the actresses with her performance, though it would have been stronger had she been directed to be less sing-song in her dialogue delivery.
The film’s themes include blind faith and fierce misogyny. After a great deal of blood, tears and screams, the emotional and disturbing core of Chhorii 2 is somewhat outdone by its focus on motifs, message and technique.
