Quick Review : Kennedy Club
By Rinku Gupta
Directed by Susienthiran, Kennedy Club is produced by DN Thai Saravanan, and stars Bharathi Raja, Sasikumar,Murali Sharma, Soori, Neenakshi Govinda Raj and others.
The film is about a group of women kabadi players in the village of Ottanchathiram, being coached by the ex army man Savada Muthu whom they call Appa ( Bharathi Raja) who has even trained Muruganandhan ( Sasikumar) from his teenage years.
This Kennedy Club team members all hail from poor rural families and struggle against odds to continue playing the game. Appa aka Savudu Muthu promises thier families that he will ensure a bright future with government jobs in the sports quota if they continue to let the girls pursue thier dream.
Fighting ill health and dirty politics Appa and Muruganandhan ( who is called in as coach ) finally get the team to Delhi to play against other states and perhaps then be able to secure a chance to play in the national team. But dirty politics, corruption and revenge rear thier ugly heads even there. Does the team manage to overcome these obstacles ?
As a sports drama, the highlights are the real matches the girls have played with nail biting finishes. Except for heroine Meenakshi, all others are real Kabadi players brought together for this film. The emotional connect with the girls, thier penury and grit to continue with thier passion is well brought out.
The scenes where Bharathi Raja addresses the issue of corruption, when he encourages and inspires the girls, touch a chord. The players body language adds to the realistic touch.
Sasikumar playing a coach could have worked on his physique to look the part of a player/ coach. The sudden tiffs and issues in the second half between him and Appa are too sudden and dramatic and a tad difficult to believe. The loud Bgm by D Imman though pounding and meant to instil fervour, somehow seems to override the tension of the matches. Gurudev's camera pans too fast in certain matches without allowing us to know who is winning.
Overall, a movie with several messages, despite glitches, its effort to focus on women's Kabadi is laudable.
Directed by Susienthiran, Kennedy Club is produced by DN Thai Saravanan, and stars Bharathi Raja, Sasikumar,Murali Sharma, Soori, Neenakshi Govinda Raj and others.
The film is about a group of women kabadi players in the village of Ottanchathiram, being coached by the ex army man Savada Muthu whom they call Appa ( Bharathi Raja) who has even trained Muruganandhan ( Sasikumar) from his teenage years.
This Kennedy Club team members all hail from poor rural families and struggle against odds to continue playing the game. Appa aka Savudu Muthu promises thier families that he will ensure a bright future with government jobs in the sports quota if they continue to let the girls pursue thier dream.
Fighting ill health and dirty politics Appa and Muruganandhan ( who is called in as coach ) finally get the team to Delhi to play against other states and perhaps then be able to secure a chance to play in the national team. But dirty politics, corruption and revenge rear thier ugly heads even there. Does the team manage to overcome these obstacles ?
As a sports drama, the highlights are the real matches the girls have played with nail biting finishes. Except for heroine Meenakshi, all others are real Kabadi players brought together for this film. The emotional connect with the girls, thier penury and grit to continue with thier passion is well brought out.
The scenes where Bharathi Raja addresses the issue of corruption, when he encourages and inspires the girls, touch a chord. The players body language adds to the realistic touch.
Sasikumar playing a coach could have worked on his physique to look the part of a player/ coach. The sudden tiffs and issues in the second half between him and Appa are too sudden and dramatic and a tad difficult to believe. The loud Bgm by D Imman though pounding and meant to instil fervour, somehow seems to override the tension of the matches. Gurudev's camera pans too fast in certain matches without allowing us to know who is winning.
Overall, a movie with several messages, despite glitches, its effort to focus on women's Kabadi is laudable.
