Back in the day, I don’t think sports movies were as popular in Bollywood as they are today. So, despite something as momentous as India’s win at the 1983 Cricket World Cup, we didn’t get a slew of films around that topic. In fact, it wasn’t until 2001’s Lagaan that we got a film wholly centered around cricket. The subgenre of drama films expanded in the 2000s with Iqbal, Chak De India, and Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal. In the 2010s we got Patiala House, Brothers, Saala Khadoos, and straight-up masterpieces like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Dangal, and Mukkabaaz. The 2020s have given us Panga, Rashmi Rocket, Liger (it is what it is), and Ghoomer. And to add to this illustrious list, while also making it a bit diverse, is Vijay 69.
Akshay Roy’s Vijay 69 tells the story of the former swimming champion, Vijay Mathew, who is presumed dead after he is seen trying to jump into the Arabian Sea at the crack of dawn for reasons only known to him. He is miffed at his family and friends that they decided to hold his funeral without even finding his body, thereby making it seem like they were way too eager to say their goodbyes. But the thing that really irks him is that his old friend, Fali, struggled to say a lot about Vijay’s achievements at his premature funeral. So, Vijay tries to put together a list of everything he has done in his life, and he comes to the realization that between bringing up his daughter, Deeksha, and standing beside his now deceased wife, Anna, while she fought cancer, he hasn’t accomplished all that much. Hence, when Vijay learns that there’s a triathlon competition in Mumbai and that the oldest Indian man to have completed a triathlon was 67 years old, he decides to surpass that record at the age of 69.
If you can predict the ending of Vijay 69 based on that synopsis, you are on the right track because Akshay Roy clearly didn’t set out to make a complex and convoluted film about the world of triathlons. He does manage to touch on the topic of sponsorships and how creating an image and a narrative around a sportsperson is as important as preparing for the competition. But, for the most part, it’s about an old dude trying to do the impossible to make up for all the time he has apparently wasted while getting a lot of pushback from friends, family, and strangers. Roy dials up the apprehensions of the naysayers to eleven to heighten the drama, and while it works in the case of the members of the triathlon association and the media, it does feel a little on-the-nose when it comes to everyone else. Still, Roy doesn’t generalize which age group, class, or caste will come to your support when you are in the pits; he just says that there are nice people everywhere if you are open to accepting their love. The characters aren’t really nuanced. The comedy hits more than it misses. So, yes, Roy checks all the boxes that’s required for a melodramatic sports comedy.
Like every other fan of sports movies, I like a solid training montage sequence, and to be honest, Vijay 69 is one long training montage, followed by a mini triathlon and then the main event. Roy, along with cinematographer Sahil Bhardwaj, editor Manas Mittal, production designer Meenal Agarwal, costume designers Darshan Jalan and Manish Tiwari, the makeup team, the art department, and the stunt teams, does a laudable job of documenting his protagonist’s journey. I don’t know if all the methods shown in the film are accurate, but they are certainly fun to watch as it pushes Vijay to his limit and motivates him to go beyond that. It’s truly commendable that Roy and his team have apparently conducted a full-fledged triathlon in its final act to give its cast, crew, and the audience the real deal. The tone of the film is light, and while some of the comedic moments (I’m looking at you, Fali) can overstay their welcome, the humor works best when it’s in tandem with the sports aspect of the story. As for the melodrama, it is fairly digestible throughout the film, as Roy never goes overboard with it. However, the intercutting between all the taunts that Vijay had faced and the scenes of Vijay doing the triathlon during the final stretch was too cringeworthy for my taste.
Coming to the acting in Vijay 69, everyone is pretty great. Yes, Chunky Panday sticks out like a sore thumb with his caricaturish performance, but his character is endearing enough to give it a pass. Guddi Maruti’s Mama Bear act is too adorable. Sulagna Panigrahi, Ravish Desai, and Ayan Hasan Ali Khan are so natural as Vijay’s family. Gyan Prakash, Raj Sharma, and Adrija Sinha are excellent as Vijay’s unwavering cheerleaders. Pawan Chopra and Dharmendra Gohil are essentially the antagonists of the movie, and both of them perfectly capture the brand of villainy that’s synonymous with colony uncles. And I love that they don’t get some big redemptive moment and they continue to be annoying all the way to the end. Despite their limited screen time, Kunal Vijayakar, Paratha Akerkar, Ashwin Mushran, Padmini Sardesai, Ketika Sharma, Jiten Mukhi, Abhhay Joshi, Rajan Kavatra, Masood Akhtar, Sharmila Goenka, and Sid Makkar are fantastic. Mihir Ahuja continues to prove that he is one of the best actors working right now, and he can slip into any role very easily. Vrajesh Hirjee absolutely knocks it off the park. The moment where he rushes to fight with Pawan and Dharmendra had me in splits. Saanand Verma is hilarious. The rest of the supporting cast is amazing. As for Anupam Kher, he proves that he has the juice in him, and he doesn’t need to do blatant propaganda films to have a career. I mean, this is a guy with around 500 films under his belt, and it’s easy to forget that because of his belligerent politics. His off-screen and on-screen persona wasn’t what it is today, and I think he has damaged his image too much to make me actually appreciate his performance. All I’ll say is that he is good in the role of Vijay Mathew, and I hope he learns to be better.
Despite all the cliches, melodrama, and my personal issues with the lead actor, I had a good time with Vijay 69. Look, man, I have been watching so many “mind-bending” and “cerebral” movies and shows for the past few weeks, e.g., Pedro Paramo, The Last Night at Tremore Beach, Caddo Lake, and Black Cab. Hence, I desperately needed something straightforward, bland, formulaic, and simple. In fact, I was practically begging for the entertainment gods to send one in my direction. So, you can only imagine how delighted I was to see a movie that had a linear storyline, no aliens, no time travel, no hallucinogenic drugs, no stupid visions, no cliffhangers—just a basic film with a clear starting point and an ending point. Now, if someone is not in that headspace, I don’t know how much they are going to enjoy it. Still, I’ll recommend everyone to give Vijay 69 a try and request all filmmakers to make more uncomplicated films like this.
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