Film Review - Cycle Kick

A lot of films have shared revenues in last week. Cycle Kick stands out for being the most simple of the lot. This small-budget movie backed by Subhash Ghai's Mukta Searchlight Films has no frills, no stars, not even an original background score, but it surely has a lot of soul. Debutant director Shashi Sudigala takes his viewers through the highs and lows of the daily life of youngsters in the back of beyond, a heart-warming story which culminates in the triumph of the underdog.

Set in the idyllic coastal town of Sawantwadi, Cycle Kick as the name deliberately suggests is about a two wheeler, football and the final act of a cycle kick as made popular by the likes of Ronaldinho and Rivaldo. Ramu, a college-going youngster takes care of his polio-stricken brother Deva. He works at a garage and often takes up odd jobs to make ends meet. Deva's dreams of traveling to school on a bicycle come true when the brothers find a deserted bike and restore it to working condition. Ramu works faster, earns more and even gets a new job as a part-time gardener. Just when life's looking up for the siblings, the cycle is stolen. That's how Ali comes into the picture. When Deva finds out that Ali's bike is in fact his, there is a big confrontation. Their government college football coach influences them to sort out the matter by playing a match, which ends in a draw. As the former rivals, Ramu and Ali, are instructed to use the bike every alternate day, their bond strengthens and they finally unite to play a do-or-die match against the rich brats of the town.

The fact that the viewer walks into an almost empty theatre with close to zero expectations from the experience, promises well for the movie because it manages to surprise you with its straightforwardness and honesty. Cinematographer Anshul Chaubey presents the serene seaside town of Sindhugarh in coastal Maharashtra in all its freshness with coconut tree dotted beaches and picture-perfect sunsets. The moments shared by the two brothers and their sea-facing conversations make up for some of the best scenes in the entire movie. The clash between the raizade and the banyan-clad team led by Ramu on the football team is highly reminiscent of Lagaan and Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, with the underprivileged side holding up the trophy, in this case the cycle, in the end.

However, the movie is pulled down by a highly scattered screenplay which is loaded with loopholes and the rather needless and half-baked romantic angles. How the focus shifts from the cycle is not clearly explained and Ramu's "passion" for football seems a bit forced. This is a small-budget movie, but that doesn't excuse the bad print and the inconsistent dubbing. There are scenes in which the characters talk without any lip movement!

Apart from the calming visuals, what carry the movie forward are the earnest performances by the most of the lead cast. Malayalam actor Nishan Nanaiah makes a rather understated Hindi film debut in Cycle Kick and is apt for the role of Ramu with his melting-brown eyes and pleasant behavior. Sunny Hinduja plays Ali with conviction and Master Dwij Yadav is endearing as Deva. Both the women, Girija Oak and Ishita Sharma, suffer due to meager characterization. Veteran Tom Alter is capable in his role as the football coach, which is quite similar to Naseeruddin Shah's act in Iqbal. Samir Kochhar has a blink-and-miss appearance.

The visuals are accompanied by a rather dull background score which gets jarring at times. There are no innovative songs and Jagjit Singh's ghazal is the only track in the movie which plays in the background during Ramu and Shrishti's romantic montage.

Very similar in its idea to Ghai's earlier underdog story, Iqbal, Cycle Kick does not pack in the same kind of punch, but it shares the same good intention. Kudos to Subhash Ghai for encouraging new talent like Shashi Sudigala and for backing a rather amateur, though promising project like this one. The movie might not really be the 'Kick' that Hindi cinema has recently received from other debutant directors like Bejoy Nambiar, but it certainly is a nudge towards the right direction.

Overall, it is an average film to watch once if you like film Iqbal type tale.