Malayalam has a hit-or-miss record with sports drama. While there have been notable hits like the gut-wrenching "Captain" (2018) and the heartwarming "Sudani from Nigeria" (2018), the industry usually struggles with this genre with some notable disappointments being "Karinkunnam 6's" (2016), "Finals" (2019) and most recently, "Kho-Kho" (2021). So, it was with this sense of tempered expectations that I approached Malayalam's first mainstream film on the sport of "tug-of-war" or "vadam vali" as it is known locally and I was pleasantly surprised that the film manages to entertain for the most part.
The story follows the history of the legendary real-life tug-of-war team called "Aaha Neeloor" which dominated the sport in the state for decades, being largely made up of quarry workers and other blue-collar labourers from rural Kerala. Indrajith stars as the quintessential sporting legend turned public enemy No.1 after choking in a final event, much like Shah Rukh Khan from "Chak De India" (2007). How a group of enterprising youngsters led by Amith Chakkalakkal's character recruit him to resurrect the long-forgotten team and regain their lost glory forms the rest of the story.
Indrajith putting in superlative performances is no longer a surprise and despite being given a restrained, more mature character, the actor resonates with you, often with just his eyes. Ashwin Kumar is electric as "Chenkan", rival and bête noire to Indrajith's character and delivers some of the best scenes in the movie single-handedly. Their rivalry and bids to outdo each other should, in fact, have gotten more screen time, such was the way the two actors were delightfully playing off each other.
Amith Chakkalakkal puts his heart and soul into the character and despite his limited acting ability, his physicality and determination especially in the tug-of-war sequences gave an aura of authenticity and heart to the character of the team captain. One hopes that this hard-working actor gets more mainstream roles down the road after delighting us all by bursting into the scene with the splendid "Varikkuzhiyile Kolapathakam" (2019).
The team requires praise for shooting the tug-of-war sequences in a hard-hitting and impactful manner. It is not the greatest sport to watch or shoot, yet the cinematographer Rahul Balachandran has done an excellent job in juggling between angles and perspectives while focusing on the athletes' efforts as well to effectively portray the sheer effort and force of will that goes into every pull.
Editor-turned-Director Bibin Paul Samuel builds a solid narrative, switching back and forth between present-day and the legendary heydays of the almost mythical team from yesteryear and uses the music from Sayanora Philip to add layers and punch to the narrative. Watch out for the adrenaline pumping "Kadamkadhayai" which brilliantly combines sporting motivation and class struggle thanks to peppy music and the intricate lyrics from Jubith Namradath.
However, despite its many highs, the movie is let down by a tame climax that feels rushed and lack of any conflict or a sense of redemption one hopes to see in sporting dramas. While Manoj K Jayan's "Aashan" (coach) character is initially promising, the director seems to forget to build him from thereon. The women characters in Megha Thomas and Santhy Balachandran are given precious little room to shine and because of the same, the two romance tracks in the movie never appear sincere or compelling.
Despite its many flaws, Aaha has its heart in the right place and focuses on the story of a long-forgotten but legendary team that captured the imagination of an entire set of downtrodden people, a tale that deserves to get the limelight. Indrajith, Ashwin Kumar and Amith Chakkalakkal deliver performances that paper over the cracks in an inconsistent screenplay. Set your expectations right and you won't be disappointed!
