Chaman Bahar is a Hindi movie written and directed by Apurva Dhar Badgaiyann.
It features TVF’s Jitendra Kumar and Ritika Badiani in the lead roles.

Prem Kumar Yadav (Jitendra Kumar), known as Billu to his friends, is an ordinary, small town guy who has a simple dream—to create a better life for himself and earn money. His father has had a respectable job at the Forest Department for several years and when Prem expresses his desire to open up a paan and tobacco shop locally, he expresses his displeasure, but does not stop Billu.

The small house and the dusty sadak leading to his shop capture the simplicity of rural India perfectly. The camerawork and cinematography may not be particularly stunning, but they immediately make a home in the hearts of the viewers.

Soon after opening his shop, Billu sees a young, beautiful girl who lives in the house across the street and he feels an instant connection. 

The problem arises when Billu’s friends Somu (Bhuvan Arora) and Chhotu (Dherendra Kumar Tiwari) suggest that he use the girl’s presence to his advantage by catering to the young men who will be visiting to potentially court her.

This leads to a hilarious dilemma where Billu has to choose between his business for which he worked so hard and the girl he has fallen for despite the fact they have never met. And so begins the journey of manipulation and foul play when Billu tries to ignite a rivalry between Rinku’s (Ritika Badiani) suitors.

What follows is a series of delusional and self-absorbed incidents that creates unrest for everyone and makes Rinku and her family uncomfortable. 

Billu’s two friends Somu (Bhuvan Arora) and Chottu (Dherendra Kumar Tiwari) do a tremendous job in their portrayal of the local troublemakers, and generate a lot of laughter along the way.

This movie brings an important issue to light. The female lead, Rinku, exists as an object of attraction for all the young men of Lormi. We never hear her side of the story or see what she has to say about all the unwanted attention. This is an all too familiar situation for millions of women across the world who are victimised by men who simply want to stroke their ego. 

Jitendra Kumar shines bright as ever with his relatable characterisation and innocent portrayal and other cast members, including Alam Khan and Bhuvan Arora compliment his screen presence well.

The movie was set to release three years ago, but was shelved due to unknown reasons. After the success of Shubh Mangal Zyada Savdhan, the creators have finally released this movie on Netflix.

Chaman Bahar may not be perfect in its portrayal, but it still brings to light the story of a common-man in rural India. There is a need for more such stories - honest and raw.

For that, Chaman Bahar gets a rating of 2.5/5.