Alappuzha Gymkhana is one of the most-talked-about films in recent times. The Malayalam sports drama was also released in Telugu, but not many noticed it. Featuring Premalu fame Naslen in the lead role, the film is now streaming on Sony Live. Let’s review it here.
Story
After flunking their 12th-grade exams, Jojo Johnson (Naslen) and his four friends dive into boxing. They begin training at a local gym under Antony Joshua (Lukman Avaran), a former champ. As the Kerala State Amateur Boxing Championship nears, the gang is not clear about their goals in life. The coming of age drama showcases what these guys do by the end of their training and uncover some crazy truths in their journey.
What about on-screen performances?
Naslen, who is known to us from the hit film Premam, leads the pack and delivers a complete package. His looks, body language, and the way he emotes were good to see on screen.
Naslen does well in all the comedy scenes, and when things get serious, his emotions change, and he behaves like an adult and carries the film on his shoulders.
Franco Francis, Shon Joy, and Ganapathi play key roles in this film, and their supporting act is very neatly executed in the film by the director Khalid.
Though most of them are news, how the youngster give their best does not make you feel that they are relatively new to cinema.
What about off-screen performances?
Khalid Rahman has directed the film, and he has made this sports drama a light-hearted film. The mood is lazy and yet the point is conveyed in the narrative.
Like all Malayalam films, Alappuzha Gymkhana is also slow and takes time for it to register with you. The same is the case with the entire first half.
The director takes a lot of time to unleash his characters, and this makes the world-building a bit dull to watch at times in the first half.
Yet another drawback of the film is the lack of a strong romance in the film. The so-called romance does not create much of an impact.
Vishnu Vijay’s music is top-notch notch but his BGM is even better. The tunes used to elevate key emotions in the film is the best part of Alappuzha Gymkhana.
Alappuzha Gymkhana has its charm and is not for all. There is a sense of laid-back attitude with not much happening in the narrative in terms of drama.
But the director has made sure that the core elements are addressed well, and this makes Alappuzha Gymkhana a bit interesting in the second half.
The dialogues, beautiful locales, and screenplay make sure that even the dull situations look gripping in the second half of the film.
What’s Hot?
- Performances
- Backdrop
- Second half
What’s Not?
- Slow pace
- Lack of known faces
Verdict
Overall, Alappuzha Gymkhana is a unique sports drama that takes time for you to grow. But once it does, things look interesting thanks to the backdrop and performances. All those who like off-beat sports can stream the film once on OTT.
Telugubulletin.com Rating 2.75/5