'Sachin' is an exciting game where humor and love score

The movie 'Sachin', starring Dhyan Sreenivasan and Anna Reshma Rajan in lead roles treats the Malayali movie goers to a beautiful tale of cricket and love, with ample doses of humor as well. The Malayalam block buster '1983' in which Nivin Pauly gave a spectacular performance testifies that movies with cricket as the central theme has always been a hit with Malayali audience. It was in the 1990s that cricket had gained incredible popularity, especially among the Indian families. However, none can deny the role that cricketing legend Sachin Tendulakar had played in making cricket, a universal emotion of an entire nation.

Sachin, the protagonist was born on the day when Sachin Tendulakar had hit one of his thrilling centuries. His father who was an ardent fan of the cricketer couldn’t think of another name for his baby boy. As if fate would have it, our Sachin too falls in love with a girl whose name is Anjaly and is few years older to him. The movie portrays the breezy romance between the lead pair. However, their love has to survive many struggles. This small movie is all about Sachin’s successful effort to overcome the objection of both the families and finally win his lady love.

'Sachin,' directed by Santhosh Nair is scripted by SL Puram Jayasurya. The movie is bankrolled by Jude Agnel and Juby Ninan. It boasts of an ensemble cast featuring Aju Varghese, Maniyan Pillai Raju, Mala Parvathy, Rashmi Boban, Sethu Lakshmi, Harish Kanaran, Ranji Panicker, Ramesh Pisharady and Appani Sharath.

Dhyan Sreenivasan seems comfortable in his role as a jovial cricket enthusiast. Angamaly Diaries fame Anna Reshma Rajan essays the role of Anjaly. The terrific trio Aju Varghese, Harish Kanaran and Ramesh Pisharady amazingly handles the humor department with their perfect timing and dialogue delivery. The songs and the background score in the movie are catchy.

The movie captures the innocence and beauty of a bucolic countryside and portrays the rivalries between local cricket clubs. It explores how cricket becomes a ‘game changer’ in Sachin’s life. The film has a credible ending where the protagonist realizes the importance of approaching life with reason and practicality, beyond just cricket and love.

There are countless moments in the movie which would surely excite the nostalgia of many who had grown up in villages playing cricket. However, cliched scenes like these sometimes become a bummer to a certain extent. Sachin is an onetime watch, if you go without the weight of expectations.