 ‘I believe in making films that entertain, that suits the festival mood in the fullest sense. I have been trying to make the best of the packaging with all those ingredients that are needed to make my films full-fledged entertainers - songs, dances, humor, sentiments, a bit of action, and drama. That is exactly my recipe for successes’, director Shafi said in an interview a couple of months back.
Living by his words for the nth time, he again delivers another super hit that strictly entertains. His Ramzan flick 'Chocolate' is not a subtle film - It has only a thin line thread, and the script takes many too-predictable turns. Yet despite the lack of surprises, ‘Chocolate’ is indeed a hilarious comedy riot that knocks you over the head with its well directed sequences. With its target audience marked out in precise strokes, the film very well caters to their tastes and appeals without doubt.
The plot of Chocolate is set in the background of St Mary’s women’s college, where the P T A is reluctant to go back to days of co education. Every parents in the college have their share of anxiousness on how their wards will behave if their appear male students, in the premises. The Principal Alina John (Shari), a broad minded teacher tries her ways to support the majority of students who likes to have their studies in the company of male counterparts.
 Prithviraj is Shyam Balagopal in the film, a tough all-rounder who has been shown the door from a couple of colleges before as he is well versed in everything other than studying and keeping discipline. He is a guy who has faced 9 suspensions in his academic career and 7 police cases. Since their is a clause in university bylaws which permits a male student to secure admissions in the PG's of women colleges, Vanaja, (Vanitha) the mother of Shyam and a lecturer in the college makes a special request to admit his son for a PG course. She surmise that under her direct custodianship and with 3000 odd female students in the campus, Shyam will not engage in more causalities and fisticuffs that he had regularly been to in other colleges. She also thereby, wants him to learn to respect women and view them as intelligent beings.
Shyam is at first reluctant to take admissions, but when forced by his friends and advisers like the middle aged Pappan ( Salim Kumar) and Fashion designer Ranjith (Jaya Surya) about its prospects, he sets his foot into the women' paradise, with the idea to secure an dismissal at the earliest. Although Shyam is quite happy about the state of affairs and overnight celebrity status, he soon finds out his dreams can take a bitter turn as a group of tomboyish students headed by Anna (Roma), Nandana (Samvrutha) and Susan (Ramya), is hell bound to create his life miserable from the day one, even when he is introduced at a meeting .
But Shyam is also politically incorrect as they come. He insults the gang, tells offensive chauvinistic jokes, and generally goes out of his way to offend their leader Anna. In order to survive, he schemes to outshine and outwit Anna, hoping to make her inferior. It’s a usual war that ends in love as always, but things change for the carefree hunk when he falls in love with the more intelligent Anna. As is the case with most first loves, nothing between the two comes easy. And for the ecstasy that comes with a first love, there's bound to be large doses of agony. The film captures those moments of happiness and regret without applying a jaundiced eye with a certain degree of sweetness and charm about it .The highlights of the film is that the female is not treated in traditional misogynistic terms where the usual female lover confess before the hero of her misdoings, and strong messages are given on the illogical norms and prejudices that the elder generations holds when dealing with the problems of the younger lot.
 ‘Chocolate’ is thus a film that springs from an interesting, original premise but goes very predictable there after. The major minus is that once it's halfway complete, the film doesn’t know what to do with itself stretching to mindless illogical circumstances. But even with all these shortcomings Shafi have done a commendable job to make it appealing to the core.
‘Chocolate’ is more an outlandish and freakish film, in that the screenplay by debutante Sachi -Sethu often jumps out of frames. To mention some are the sequences in which Nandhana looking for shyam even without attempting a mobile call and Renjith teaching the modern gals another ‘Ramanan’ for competitions. But, even as a director in possession of another chance- taking script and nothing much to say than one-liners, Shafi shows his real smart penchant for hit-craft which he applies brilliantly to hold the flick together and present it at a lightning pace towards a jovial finish. It's one of those films, that aren’t as much about the ending, as it is about the journey, which is hilarious, heart-warming and pleasant. And yet the most important point is that the flick tremendously entertains
Even though a campus flick, the film offers a little something for everyone. And the performances wise Roma is top class, acting with ease through out in a role that is Tailor made. But it is Prithviraj who is going to benefit the most from the film. The chemistry works well between Prithviraj and Roma and both seems to be having fun with the material. This is the first one in recent times, which offer Prithviraj in a potential thread and utilise his lighter veins in a demanding role, as we see in his Tamil languages. This is finally the safe launch of the future hero, after a career which saw many ups and downs with nothing much to acknowledge. But in this case, ‘Chocolate’ will definitely be counted as a Prithviraj hit as well. With amazing supporting performances by Salim Kumar and Jayasuriya, which the director use sensibly to balance the shortcomings of Prithviraj, makes chocolate the must see for filmi goers. The cinematography by Azhagappan, editing by Harihara Puthran and production design is first rate. The music department by Vayalar Sharath- Alex Paul team is not at their best, but managed to create hummable ones like 'Ishtam Ennu Chollu' in the second half.
Even though ‘Chocolate’ doesn't set new standards in film making, it does provide just the right sort of escapist entertainment we've come to expect from films of this genre. Make sure you secure a seat at the earliest to enjoy this hilarious fun, which will definitely make you give a smile that will linger.
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