By this point Chalk & Duster, its noble intentions notwithstanding, has turned into a real slog. I was ready to sprint for the exit just so I didnt have to endure another minute of this sloppy, misguided movie. Shabana Azmi and Juhi Chawlas charming presence and sincere performances aside, this could well turn out to be one of the years most forgettable films.Im going with one-and-a-half out of five.

On the whole, Chalk N Duster is a nice film with noble intentions but its box-office prospects are very bleak. It has some chances in states where it has been exempted from entertainment tax.

Chalk N Duster’ has its heart in the right place. Made with an intention of showcasing the worms in the current education system, where money often gets merit over capability; this film can be lauded to some degree. However, it flounders in the first half due to its tacky narrative approach. The execution for the most part is clumsy. Yet somewhere in the second half, Gilatar redeems himself and the film.

Chalk N Duster isnt concerned with the latter variety or even advocating literacy. Its prime aim is to highlight the plight of overworked, underpaid schoolteachers and the need for substantial perks or privileges. A respectable enough idea that would make for a compelling viewing under better hands but director Jayant Gilatars sloppy tribute never ever develops into anything noteworthy.

It is a subject that deserves a great deal of attention, but not in the way Chalk N Duster does it. The treatment is amateurish in the extreme, reducing the conflict to good teachers vs greedy gobblers of money and fame. Rajkumar Hiranis Munnabhai MBBS still remains the go-to film on how the educational system is going down the drain, and what we can do to save it. But nothing rescues this one, not Jackie Shroff nor Rishi Kapoor (in bit parts), nor the sprightly ladies, despite their game attempts.

For intention, Chalk N Duster might get full marks, but the execution is so hopelessly ham-fisted that the film can only be described as an absolute botch-up.But Chalk N Duster is a sentence that meanders through miles of meaninglessness before it decides to draw the line. Eventually, the audience is left with a bunch of question marks. Granted that in this country teachers rarely get their due. But did they deserve this? Chalk N Duster is the unkindest cut. If you have any respect for your teachers – past present or future – give this film a miss.

The theme of greed over ethics works well for the film and most of its characters are in sync with the narrative. What makes Chalk N Duster rise above the average is its futuristic approach. Sometimes it does seem like an application to seek favours for teachers but mostly it talks about the value of good education. These teachers are hardworking and ready to take challenges head on, and that makes them adorable. Chalk N Duster is a film worth your time. Its fast, dramatic and meaningful. Simply put, a good watch.

Chalk N Duster, a drama about the plight of overworked, underpaid Indian teachers, is a crash course on being noble.But fortunately, the scenario isnt so bad for a viewer, because this movie, featuring Shabana Azmi and Juhi Chawla, improves significantly in the second half. But be warned, the first half is a bore.

Yes, ‘Chalk N Duster’ isn’t magical or earnest like Aamir’s works, or delightful like ‘Rockford’, or ‘Stanley Ke Dabba’. It slips into the category that has Shahid Kapoor’s ‘Paathshaala’. And, that’s unfortunate. Despite having powerhouse performers Shabana Azmi and Divya Dutta, their battle appears unemotional and badly staged.

Chalk N Duster is not great cinema by any stretch of the imagination. It is often crude and unapologetic in its melodramatic pitch. But its heart is in the right place. It is a decent conscientious attempt to depict the bond between teachers and the taught. Shabanas Vidya and Juhis Jyoti (vidya and jyoti, get it?) are more aspirational than real. There is irony there. Because the treatment of the subject is more street-play blunt than aspirational.