amit1717

Syed Abdul Rahim, the man who spearheaded the Indian football team into its Golden era of the 50s and 60s, is a name that needs no introduction to the Indian sports & history buffs. We all knew of his achievements, but most definitely had no clue of the struggles that went in to achieving those. And that's what the movie tries to showcase, the struggles of a National Football team coach of a country that has just recently freed itself from the clutches of a colonial master, burdened with poverty and a host of other issues, for it to be bothered by something like football.

In a time where hockey is greatly revered, and cricket is yet to achieve its moment of glory, football was one of the last priorities for most people of the country, but the Bengalis. This is why we can see a power struggle ensue when an outsider from Hyderabad tries to run the show, in his own way. But despite all the multitude of challenges from outside and within, the coach finally emerges triumphant.

The movie boasts of one of the best pieces of cinematography I have ever witnessed in a Bollywood movie. Every scene is crafted beautifully, especially the football match sequences, undoubtedly some of the best scenes of the movie. The final sequence is so immersive that it makes you feel like you are right there in the middle of the action, living and breathing football, with people starting to cheer and applaud the players as if it's a live match.

The acting and the ensemble cast is another strength of the movie. Ajay Devgn embodied the man himself, Syed Abdul Rahim, very brilliantly. Priyamani, Gajraj Rao and the actors playing the football team were all brilliant in their respective roles. The art of football was very accurate and felt real.

The length of the movie can be an issue for some, but being a fan of slow burners, I could hardly feel it being an issue. The pacing is good, with the pace varying as per the need of the scene, from lightning fast when football is being played, to slow-paced during the emotional scenes.

One improvement could have been a detailed portrayal of the importance of some of the intricacies of the sport which Rahim personally changed within the team and how they affected the gameplay, especially the introduction of one-touch passing style of football. But yes, these could have been rather too much for the casual viewers who lack much knowledge of the sport.

This would easily go down as one of the best sports movie ever produced in the country.

Overall rating : 9/10.

Watched this during the Red Lorry Film Festival in Mumbai. The movie depicts a certain part of the independence struggle that led to the downfall of the British Empire in West Asia, leading to the formation of independent states of Israel and Palestine.

One of the most genius things the makers have achieved is that they haven't taken any sides, be it the British, the Jews or the Arabs. Each faction is depicted in contrasting ways, and none can be seen as a hero or a villain. Considering the super-sensitivity of this topic right now, not taking sides could be considered as an advantage for this movie.

The weakness of the movie lies in the character development. None of the characters get well-defined enough to have a substantial effect on the viewers, and by the end of it, you don't really feel much for any of the characters, dead or alive.

Overall : 7/10.