Indian drama film "Chalk N Duster" starring Juhi Chawla, Shabana Azmi, Zarina Wahab, Girish Karnad and Divya Dutta has opened to mixed reviews.
Jayant Gilatar's directorial film talks about the problems faced by teachers in the changing education system. The film tells the story of the current education system through an emotional journey of two teachers played by Juhi and Shabana.
"Chalk N Duster" has impressed several critics, who said that the film has a well-told story and deserves appreciation despite its flaws.
Here is what critics have said about "Chalk N Duster":
Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com said: "A respectable enough idea that would make for a compelling viewing under better hands but director Jayant Gilatar's sloppy 'tribute' never ever develops into anything noteworthy."
Meena Iyer of The Times of India said: "Shabana and Juhi are irritatingly saccharine initially; but get firmly in the saddle soon. They're from the dependable lot of actresses after all."
Rohit Vats of Hindustan Times said: "The theme of greed over ethics works well for the film and most of its characters are in sync with the narrative. Chalk N Duster is a film worth your time. It's fast, dramatic and meaningful. Simply put, a good watch."
Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express said: "It is a subject that deserves a great deal of attention, but not in the way this Juhi Chawla, Shabana Azmi film does it."
Anna MM Vetticad of Firstpost said: "It is a mark of Bollywood's extreme gender bias that the likes of Shabana and Juhi must, more often than not, compromise on quality if they wish to play heroines. These remarkable women deserve better than this clumsy, even if well-meaning, film. So does the teaching profession."
