The documentary traces the lives of three individuals - unemployed Sudhir Kumar Chaudhury, who is a crazy Sachin Tendulkar fan, Prithvi Shaw - the next sensation in Indian cricket, and Akshaya Surwe - a struggling but capable female cricketer who dreams of making it to the Indian women's team.
Cast: Prithvi Shaw, Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary, Akshaya Surwe
Director: Sushrut Jain
Narrated by: Kunal Nayyar
Rating: ***
What's it about:
The documentary traces the lives of three individuals - unemployed Sudhir Kumar Chaudhury, who is a crazy Sachin Tendulkar fan, Prithvi Shaw - the next sensation in Indian cricket, and Akshaya Surwe - a struggling but capable female cricketer who dreams of making it to the Indian women's team. Their struggles are depicted in the foreground of the 2011 World Cup in India. As we learn about their lives, the Indian team progresses through the World Cup.
What's Hot:
Following the lives of three struggling individuals through the prism of the World Cup is a nice concept. The contrast between the lives of Indian cricketers - full of fame and comfort - and those of the three protagonists is well brought out. Three aspects of modern India are brought out well - a person attempting to emulate his heroes to rise in life, an unemployed man who chases his only love and the struggles of a woman sports person in a male-dominated society. The common threads that bind them are cricket and their poverty, which in turn become the causes of their struggles.
The lead characters play their parts with finesse. Sudhir Kumar Chaudhury in particular is refreshing and seems unfazed by the camera following him around. The filmmakers have covered his journey more extensively and intricately than those of Shaw and Akshaya. However, the film still manages to provide equal space for all its three protagonists. Moreover, we are able to empathise will all its protagonists which is a rare quality to look for in today's Indian cinema.
Also, unlike many other documentaries this one does not drag on through tiny and unrelated details of people's daily lives. It sticks to the point and pushes its narrative with speed.
What's Not:
While the lives of three individuals are brought forth well under the backdrop of the World Cup, we see little of the real passion for cricket on India's streets, in its small towns and villages. Occasionally we get to watch children playing cricket on the streets, but that's about it. The film fails to effectively show how the lives of ordinary Indians are tied to cricket. It fails to capture the underlying emotion. The three protagonists, though poor, never give the sense that they represent the milieu of India. Rather their pursuits somehow seem superior to those of other common Indians. Ultimately, it feels more like an account of the lives of three inspirational individuals.
Lastly, the film fails to move significantly beyond any detail we could gather about Prithvi Shaw and Sudhir Chaudhury through our own research. Which kind of diminishes the point of making a documentary movie.
What to do:
It's worth a watch, simply for how much heart the protagonists have put into playing their roles, and for the beautiful way in which it brings out social contrasts in India.
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