Kaun Pravin Tambe? Movie Review

Plot

Kaun Pravin Tambe? is a sports biopic that follows the journey of the titular character, from the gullies and maidans of Mumbai to the Indian Premier League, at the age of 41. The movie explores his slow rise to fame and success, as he competes with kids half his age for the coveted spot in the Mumbai Ranji team, takes odd jobs to keep his cricket going, and reinvents his bowling. The movie culminates in his selection for the Rajasthan Royals in the IPL and his legendary hat-trick against the Kolkata Knight Riders.

Acting

Shreyas Talpade plays the titular role with aplomb, radiating sincerity and keeping the audience engaged with his portrayal of Pravin Tambe's character. Talpade's performance is complemented by Parambrata Chatterjee's role as Rajat Sanyal, a sports journalist who doesn't appreciate Tambe's talent, and Ashish Vidyarthi's role as the coach who spots Tambe's inherent talent for spin bowling.

Cinematography

The movie does a good job of capturing the essence of Mumbai's maidans, the beating heart of the city's cricket culture. However, the cricketing bits turn out to be the least exciting, with none of the sport's grit or drama permeating the sanitised world of upbeat optimism that Tambe resides in. The movie blends real IPL footage with the reel shoots to recreate Tambe's iconic hat-trick, but the end fails to tug at the heartstrings.

Direction

Directed by Jayprad Desai, Kaun Pravin Tambe? is a lot like its protagonist: unassuming but with a lot of heart. While the movie does a good job of finding humour and beauty in the everyday, it stretches stereotypes of how a Maharashtrian family residing in a chawl in Mulund looks and behaves. The milestones in Tambe's life are treated more as a check-list, papered over with unremarkable music, and the characters push the story forward, giving it some depth when the storyline keeps pinging between family drama, cricket snippets, disappointment, and being too old to play.

Overall Review

Kaun Pravin Tambe? is a lesson in patience, perseverance, and resilience, a lesson for all underachievers to keep doing what they do best until the day tables turn in their favour. The movie pumps in a fresh dose of enthusiasm to chase one's own dreams, which in itself is an achievement. While the movie is not the best sports biopic out there, it has a sweetness and grit that mirrors the qualities of its lead character and is definitely worth a watch for anyone looking for a heartwarming story of hope and dedication.

Share this review