If there was a quote that would fit aptly to describe the film ‘Kaun Pravin Tambe?’, then it would have been, “Victory tastes sweetest to the ones who have tasted defeat”. The Jayprad Desai directorial is about a real-life cricketer. Pravin Tambe made his debut in the IPL at the age of 41. The story is about patience and perseverance and how an underdog won titles after much resilience.
This movie is a docudrama, a biopic of a cricketer one hardly knows. In the latest trend of biopics, this is definitely not one of the best movies one would see but the hardships faced by the protagonist and the way the narrative is drawn with sweetness engage the audience till the very end. One would root for Pravin and wait for his success.
Shreyas Talpade who plays the key role is quite different from the cricketer considering his looks and body features but he fits so well into the character that one can hardly imagine someone else playing the role. The entire plot revolves around Pravin’s journey from a commoner, gully level cricketer as journalists would call him to a man who chased his passion to succeed. The movie not only deals with cricket but also the personal life of Pravin.
Parambrata Chatterjee is the narrator of the film who plays the role of a journalist in the film. He is amazing throughout and a man of his words.
Sentimental and light with humour and heavy emotions, this movie shines out. One will not see great feats of cricket because this story is more about struggles that any man with ambition will relate to. This movie is different from all the biopics in the Hindi film industry that keeps the audience pulsating with its background score and depiction of the making of a star.
As one of the selectors says in the movie that Tambe has crossed 40 but his battery is fully charged, Pravin makes the saying true that age is just a number. Without glamour and anything extra that makes this movie lustrous, it catches attention for a brilliant performance of Shreyas Talpade and runs smoothly throughout. In places, the movie is rather flat but the emotional journey that it depicts makes it different.
Pravin’s shift from a mid-pace bowler to a leg spinner under his coach’s advice is also a story of struggle. He took his own time to fit into the role and when he did it was a matter of one good over that made it for him.
The cons are definitely the background score and the soundtrack that doesn’t match the gravity of the movie. Also, the movie amidst flashbacks lost its natural flow. We never know what Pravin did to the cricket kit that he wanted to throw away when not selected for his ultimate Ranji selection goal after a heated argument with his wife.
Overall, the movie is a good one-time watch. If one is looking for motivation and a story that will inspire one to chase dreams, this is it.
‘Kaun Pravin Tambe?’ is currently streaming on Disney+ Hotstar.
Rating: 2.5/5
