Chhorii 2 (2025) Review!!

Synopsis – Sakshi must rescue her seven-year-old daughter from a superstitious cult while fighting societal malpractices and the horror that continues to haunt her and young women around her.

My Take – Released in 2021 on Prime Video, amidst the COVID-19 lock down, Chhorii, the Hindi remake of Marathi film Lapachhapi (2017), was a decent enough horror that blended social issues like female infanticide moderately into its screenplay. Though it struggled to deliver the intended chills and thrills, the strong performances and the intriguing tale, ended up elevating the overall experience.

Now, four years later, director Vishal Furia returns to expand upon his story, with writer Ajit Jagtap, and adds worthwhile elements of social commentary on gender inequality and harmful traditions to increase the impact. All he needed was a more skillfully crafted vehicle.

While the unsettling atmosphere and creepy thematic structure does a fine job of introducing multiple characters and newer conflicts, eventually, it ends up being more gripping in its set up than when the actual plot kicks in. Leaving us with a well-intentioned but tedious genre exercise that neither terrifies nor inculcates.

In an attempt to recapture what worked in its predecessor, the film’s pacing becomes a test of endurance, with sequences stretching far beyond their effective breaking point. Rather than delivering a gripping narrative, the film drowns itself in mindless, over-the-top darkness that feels forced and unpleasant.

Sure, the film had immense potential and technically does well in comparison to its contemporaries, yet there is no denying of the wonders it could have done with a stronger script and tighter execution.

Set seven years after the events of its predecessor, the story once again follows Sakshi (Nushrratt Bharuccha), now living a seemingly peaceful existence as a schoolteacher raising her daughter Ishani (Hardika Sharma), along with her fellow survivor and Rajbir’s third wife, Rani (Pallavi Ajay).

Though the seven-year-old suffers from a peculiar condition that renders her painfully vulnerable to sunlight, confining her to darkness and shadow, under the protective support of police inspector Samar (Gashmeer Mahajani), the three have carved out a semblance of normalcy. Until one night, when a spectral figure lures Ishani away and some men grab Rani.

The abduction catapults Sakshi back to the very village and sugarcane fields she had once fled from, now descending into an elaborate underground labyrinth. Discovering a horrifying truth that her daughter’s condition had made her an apt sacrifice for a cave-dwelling creature sustained by ritualistic offerings of young girls.

Orchestrating this macabre tradition is Daasi Maa (Soha Ali Khan), a mysterious black-veiled woman who serves as the creature’s high priestess and gatekeeper. What unfolds is Sakshi’s desperate race against a three-day countdown, navigating maze-like tunnels populated by vengeful spirits, misogynistic villagers and the remnants of her own troubled past.

Here, director Vishal Furia, who helmed both the original Marathi feature and its Hindi remake, demonstrates plenty visual flair. The underground setting, with its winding passageways and flickering torch-lit chambers, provides immense atmospheric potential. But the pacing is throughout uneven, with some scenes dragging while others feeling rushed, further contributing to the film’s lack of engagement.

Soon enough, the horror elements from the ghoulish apparitions to the ancient cave-dwelling entity quickly lose their ability to frighten, becoming repetitive intrusions rather than escalating threats. Jump scares are sparse, while the psychological dread never fully materializes despite the promising setup. To make matters worse, the CGI is terrible.

However, the true horror of the film lies in its unflinching portrayal of the deep-rooted cultural stigma that fuels the desire for male heirs—trapping women in a cycle of fear, silence, and systemic oppression. But the message does not land as well as intended.

Even the film’s most intriguing dynamic, the complex relationship between Sakshi and Daasi Maa, representing contrasting female responses to patriarchal control, shows potential of genuine substance but ultimately gets buried under the film’s heavy-handed messaging.

The worst impacted was the climax, which seemed clearly inspired by Tumbbad (2018), but ultimately falls short of achieving the desired aftereffect. This ambitious but ineffective execution is compounded by a seemingly desperate effort to set up a third installment that ends up leaving a bitter after taste.

Performance-wise, Nushrratt Bharuccha once again commits admirably to her role, throwing herself physically and emotionally into her character’s ordeal. Conveying both vulnerability and fierce resolve, even when the screenplay sticks to the standard maternal protection archetype seen in many films.

Soha Ali Khan brings an enigmatic presence to the narrative, her tone and measured movements hint at potential depths to her character that is sadly left unexplored. Saurabh Goyal is once again ruthless, while Gashmeer Mahajani doesn’t get to do much in a limited role. On the whole, ‘Chhorri 2‘ is an ambitious horror sequel let down by its wavering screenplay and plodding pace.