It is difficult to make an engaging sports film given that the audiences know what will happen at the end. Over the years there has been a flurry of sports biopics like Priyanka Chopra’s Mary Kom. Farhan Akhtar’s Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, and late Sushant Singh Rajput’s MS Dhoni among many others.
As a result the genre has lost some of its sheen. But Jayprasad Desai’s Kaun Pravin Tambe works not only as a sports film, but it also gives an important message on patience, perseverance and resilience. It gives an important lesson to all underachievers on continuing to do what they do best until the tables turn in their favor.
For those who are not aware, Pravin Tambe is a cricketer who made his debut at the age of 41. He had played in the Indian premier league without any first class or international experience.
The director perfectly captures the grit of Pravin Thambe and makes sure that the audiences root for him. Apart from Shreyas Talpade the other important cast members include Ashish Vidyarthi, Anjali Patil and Parambrata Chatterjee.
An interesting aspect of the film is how Jayprasad Desai captures the life of those cricketers who haven’t made it to the big league. However, they still continue to play cricket thanks to the private companies who hire them for their cricketing teams.
The jobs are mundane but they provide a steady income to these cricketers. As a result they are able to use their skills on the field.
The chief reason why Pravin Tambe is able to pursue his dream is because of his talent and the kindness of the people that he encounters.
The home life of Pravin, and his wife, also gives the film some of its best moments. The director authentically captures the middle class lifestyle. There is certain realisticness to the proceedings.
Anjali Patil’s character never comes across as a nagging wife. She has her arguments with the husband but at the same time she understands his passion for cricket, this has come out really well.
The scenes between Ashish Vidyarthi and Shreyas are also a delight to watch. Initially the audiences along with Pravin don’t understand why Ashish Vidyarthi’s character insists that Pravin should change from being a medium pace bowler to a spinner. But as we go along we understand why he is insisting so much.
The reason is Pravin’s wrists and grip is very strong. It is a pleasure to see Ashish Vidyarthi in a positive role. The actor delivers a solid performance.
Parambrata Chatterjee’s Rajat starts off as some kind of villain. He doesn’t think much of Pravin’s talent. There is a dismissive attitude that he has towards Pravin. He never seems to appreciate anything that Tambe does,
But thankfully the character doesn’t slip into a caricature thanks to the assured direction and also the actor’s performance.
Coming to the onscreen Pravin Tambe, it is great to see Shreyas Talpade doing something substantial after a long time. The actor delivers a performance which is on par with his debut role in Nagesh Kukunoor’s Iqbal. It looks like Shreya’s acting career has come full circle with Kaun Pravin Tambe.
He throws himself into the part with full conviction. He makes the audiences resonate with Tambe’s passion for cricket.
In a nutshell, Kaun Pravin Tambe is much more than just your regular sports drama. It will inspire you to pursue your dreams until you achieve your goals.