GOLONDAJ: “Shob khelar shera bangalir ei Football” sang Soumitra years back. This movie is a biopic of Nagendra Sarbadhikary, the father of Indian football. The first shot of bodilicious Dev emerging out of the water will make you think that he is Bengal’s answer to Salman Khan. Dev has honed his acting chops and improved his diction. The choreographed football scenes are rivetting. The direction is superlative. The art direction of this period drama is mindblowing. The direction, screenplay and dialogues are top-notch. The inclusion of Anirban Bhattacharya in the proceedings is unnecessary. Inspired by Ashutosh Gowariker’s Lagaan, the climax although predictable, is a treat to watch. Issha Saha is wasted in a miniscule role. There is not much intrigue woven into the script and the movie is a simple clash between the Englishmen vs the native Indians. The background score and the songs are intricately integrated into the movie. Interestingly the face shots and feet shots of Dev are taken separately so you wouldn’t know if Dev was actually playing the game. If you are an admirer of the male form, you will probably like this movie because you would get to watch bare-bodied Dev and his semi-clad team in several reels. This movie is a formula movie but the treatment is unique. A must-watch movie.
AninditaRoyMusings 