Vijay 69

In Vijay 69, Anupam Kher plays a retired elderly widower who begins to feel like a bit small, ashamed and unaccomplished when he looks at himself through the perceived eyes of society with no significant achievements to boast about or legacy to be remembered for. Some initial confusion results in his family and friends thinking that Anupam's character has taken his own life and even though his friends and family admire him for dedicating his life to teaching swimming to children, when new community members question what his real job was, he starts to question his life choices. He decides to make a difference.

After a brief search for feats that he can strive to achieve, he decides to become India's oldest Triathlete and compete in a state triathlon event. The movie follows Kher's Vijay as he tries to raise money, spirit and strength to compete in the event. He faces stiff resistance from his daughter, the sports organization and a competitive neighbor whose son is trying to become India's youngest triathlete. There are some amusing and entertaining moments that happen as Vijay tries to make a difference and create his legacy. Will he be able to jump over various hurdles and cross the finish line or at 69 or will his family, friends, doctors, society and fitness stop him from even running for his legacy.

Anupam Kher is very believable and does a good job through most of the movie but there are moments in the movie especially during the climax when the emotional needle of his performance moves from dramatic to overly melodramatic. I think this is more about the director's style and (in)experience than Kher's acting. Just like the signature, Vijay 69 looses steam right before the final act which is very unfortunate since it has all the right components to deliver a knockout punch. This is yet again another movie where Kher's performance is pulled down by inconsistent direction and mediocre acting by his supporting cast. Mihir Ahuja is pretty good as India's youngest triathlete but Chunky Pandey is OK and does get a bit over the top and cringeworthy in some scenes. The other actors dont get much screen time and hence cant make any impact.

This is a movie worth watching for the simple, relatable and emotional story, Kher's acting for most of the movie and some light humor and fun. A good and simple movie....could have been better. 7/10 for the movie and Kher's performance.

"Vijay 69," directed by Akshay Roy, is a slice-of-life film featuring Anupam Kher as Vijay Mathew, a former athlete and swimming coach who sacrificed his career for his terminally ill wife. Now older, Vijay feels unfulfilled and decides to participate in a triathlon despite limited support from his daughter and society. The movie highlights his strong friendship with Fali (played by Chunkey Pandey) and his unexpected bond with a young rival athlete, Aditya (Mihir Ahuja), showcasing friendship's power beyond age.

While the film stumbles in its early scenes with TV-like production and forced humor, it becomes compelling as Vijay begins his journey. Kher's performance, especially in the triathlon scenes, is a standout, capturing Vijay's determination and resilience. Pandey adds humor, while Sahil Bhardwaj's cinematography brings intensity to the triathlon. Despite some overdramatized moments, the film leaves a positive impression with its message about second chances and seizing the day.

It is a movie that tries to inspire you to achieve some thing great in life and shows that age is a just number if you aspire to make great things in life. Won't say it is a new concept but is a fun watch that doesn't bore you. It has many funny moments that makes you happy and tries to keep you engrossed in the movie.

Loved the chemistry between Anupam Kher and Chunky Pandey, both have acted well and are soul of the movie. On negative side didn't like the climax and the recommendation of minister to re-instate Vijay in the last moment that portion could have certainly be written differently, takes away the whole experience away.

But overall nice movie that makes you happy.

The movie depicts a very simple story of Vijay, who's age is 69 and who gets very upset looking at his eulogy written by his friend. He wants to write something special which tells his entire life and what achievements he made. Fun loving, simple family drama but giving a very precious message. Age doesn't matter, every human in this world deserves his/her identity which is like a base of life. Everyone doesn't get a chance to achieve whatever they want in their young age but as it is said there is no time for any good thing to happen. Hence nobody should loose hope and keep trying until last.

A decent feel good movie with a few moments to smile. Anupamkher's acting is good and the combo with chunkey pandey makes you realise you need that one good friend who is always there for you. The story was good and there are no over the top drama and sequences. There is a deeper meaning the movie tries to convey about life which ever human being knows and does not do anything about it. There are no songs in the movie which helps with the momentum of the movie and makes it more close to a real life movie.

Overall definitely a one time watch movie with family except for a few words here and there.