Badlapur Boys Review

A hu tu tu to the star- packed fair. Karrm Movies ‘Badlapur Boys’ is a humble request to respect the Indian sport Kabaddi. This remake of the acclaimed Tamil film Vennila Kabadi Kuzhu (2009), which was later remade in Telugu (2010) as Bheemili Kabaddi Jattu is simplistic in its approach and honest in highlighting and putting the Indian game Kabaddi in spotlight.

Writer Shailesh Verma (Veer, Saancha) turns director with this sports flick that moves over cricket, hockey, football, boxing and athletics.

Good to see rural desi sports of India as themes for big screen. After Ajay Devgn’s ‘Vitti Dandu’ that patronized the game known as ‘Gulli Danda’ in Hindi which was later modified by British as cricket.

It's pleasant to see a debutant production house and director trying something at the grassroots level.

It’s a story set in a remote pace in UP called Badlapur, where the tech savvy world is alien, even mobile phones are absent and the 80’s melodramatic clichés as familiar as the girl next door but still the movie manages to infuse interest in this tale of underdog triumph.

It’s the story of Vijay (Nishan) who is fighting the demons of being called ‘‘paagal baap ka beta’ - his father committed suicide to raise voice for a dam to resolve Badlapur’s water crises.

Poor Vijay loses his father and his education to turn goat - herd to the local landlord (Aman Verma). Vijay has a passion for Kabaddi but is forced to sit aside and watch because previously while playing he left the grazing goats alone. The angry employer asks Vijay to take an oath that he will never play the game again.

Vijay grows up by secretly practicing the game, watching his friends play and in the meanwhile romance (Saranya Mohan) who meets him during a village annual fair. They both exchange vibes, gifts and duets and still nobody including Vijay knows the name of the girl. (or maybe she was just a dream).. Anyways enters Kabaddi coach (Annu Kapoor) and things changes for Vijay, Badlapur and the always loosing Kabbadi team of the village.

How Vijay gets a chance to play, how the bunch of losers participate at the state level and how Vijay brings back his father’s pride finds the crux of the story.

The writing and execution over here is very simple, basic and lacks innovation. It has its heart at its right place and the characters too have small dreams like getting permanent in a job, mother - in law respect.

The significant part of ‘Badlapur Boys’ is its honest depiction of the environment it doesn,t paints it with a picture of sorrow or grief. It’s basic and simple. The conversations are to the point.

The unwanted melodrama, clichés, and it’s over simplicity in highlighting the politics of the game plus unnecessary use of background dancers clad in loud outfits. The tacky special effects like the suicide of Vijay’s father and doctor’s explanation to Vijay’s injury doesn,t favor the movie.

Anyhow the movie scores some high points like being the first Hindi film on Kabaddi, having a honest heart, a spirit, natural and charming performances by Nishan – The Malayalam actor who makes his Bollywood debut. The decently charming and spontaneous Saranya Mohan - she is a delight.

The multitalented Annu Kapoor is marvelous and pumps the film with his peerless energy and enthusiasms. Other supporting cast like Kishori Shahane and Aman Verma are fine. The Kabbaddi team members do their part well.

All this plus the unexpected twist in the tale makes this simple and humble request to respect the Indian sport Kabaddi is a watch if you want to see a simple tale of motivation simply told.