‘Lubar Pandu’ Movie Review: Harish Kalyan, Atakathi Dinesh hit it out of the park with this wholesome entertainer

Harish Kalyan and Akatthi Dinesh in ‘Lubar Pandu’ Photo credit: Special Arrangements

In a country like India where cricket is a passion, there is no dearth of films about the beloved sport. From biographies of some of the greatest players the game has ever seen, to using cricket as the backdrop for a heart-warming underdog drama, several iterations of the game are explored. now with Lubar Pandu, Director Tamijarsan Pachamuthu sheds light on the rubber ball cricket tournament culture prevalent in the deep pockets of Tamil Nadu and weaves an intriguing narrative around it.

Some films blow your mind with a unique story set in a completely new backdrop while others narrate a simple, straightforward story but thanks to the way its elements come together; Lubar Pandu A textbook example of the latter. In the film, Anbu (Harish Kalyan) is a small-town guy and a gifted bowler who crosses paths with Pumalai aka Gethu (Attakathi Dinesh), an older, highly respected batsman. A series of unfortunate incidents trigger their egos and on-field rivalries spill over into their personal lives… only for a shocking blow when they learn that Anbu is in a relationship with Gethu’s daughter Durga (Sanjana Krishnamurthy).

Akakhathi Dinesh and Harish Kalyan Photo credit: Special Arrangements

Films about ego and interpersonal relationships seem to be doing well for Harish. He ended last year with a bang thanks parking, where his character is pitted against a fellow tenant, played by veteran MS Bhaskar. In this film, she is pitted against Atakathi Dinesh, who is fresh off the success of Underrated. Jay Baby Which incidentally was also about family and interpersonal relationships. Although vows may sound similar Blue Star which was released earlier this year, Lubar Pandu Dwells deep into the complexities of relationships and how egos can affect them. The icing on the cake is that both pictures hold a mirror to how deeply caste-based discrimination is deeply embedded in our society.

Both the leads are not particularly challenging roles, though Harish and Dinesh pull them off quite well; The reason boils down to how their characters have been sketched. Anbu and Gethu are two men from two different generations but that’s about all their differences. Both would do anything for their one true love, the value of friendship, players with as much pride as their talent and of course love cricket more than anything else.

Director Tamizharson does a great job of characterization and humanizes Anbu and Gethu’s efforts with numerous emotions as the film progresses. The Anbu, as his name suggests, are, as you might guess, a tough nut to crack when it comes to flying the first white flag. Speaking of names, Yashoda (played by an impressive Swasika) has to become a mother figure to her husband Gethu who prioritizes his sport over the betterment of his family. For a film about a game between testosterone-driven men, Lubar Pandu You will be pleasantly surprised at how well the female characters are written.

While the romantic parts between Ambu and his girlfriend Durga (Sanjana Krishnamurthy) are written carefully enough not to slow down the flow of the film, it is the mature romance between Yashoda and Gethu that is most memorable. This works mainly because the fact that they belong to two different castes brings an extra layer to the love-hate relationship they share. Lubar Pandu Also shows the men as agitated creatures while the women – who are victims of their male counterparts’ actions – are more level-headed and keep things from falling apart. But arguably the best part of the film is how it never romanticizes any of its characters as villains or their flaws; It shows them to be a product of their circumstances, and how it takes to get into the good books of their family members is a right call.

Harish Kalyan and Sanjana Krishnamurthy Photo credit: Special Arrangements

Tamizharson introduces us to the world of rubber ball cricket and its impact on the lives of its players, complete with their rhythms; There is even a scene where a bride signs a contract at her wedding reception that she will allow her husband to play cricket with his friends! Whether it’s the opening song they play every time a star player walks into the pavilion — it’s Vijayakanth’s hit for Gethu and Vijay for Anbu — or how Gethu uses his handkerchief as a grip for the bat handle, the attention to detail is diverted from us theatergoers in the stadium. A personal preference is how the film defines two specific timelines with the consumption of a rubber ball in a given year.

And boy, the cricket match segments are a treat to watch! The director spins a googly with these sequences as he goes against the grain of common cricket film tropes. Tamizharson subverts expectations at key moments, and these nuggets of small victories allow us to overlook the film’s snags, such as the obligatory female empowerment trope surrounding a player, which feels unnecessary. Like every Tamil film on cricket, there is ample scope for humor in the conversational game commentary, but Lubar Pandu It takes it up a notch with characters played by Bala Saravanan and Jenson Dhibhakar. The film does a great job when it comes to handling its secondary characters and the one played by Kali Venkat could very well become a fan-favourite.

With several arcs seamlessly woven together – including the caste oppression angle of which Tamizharson gives a profound resolution – the filmmaker makes his mark as a talent to watch. Lubar Pandu A breath of fresh air and a refreshing addition to the growing list of cricket movies; So much so that we can call it a whole new ballgame.

Lubar Pandu is currently playing in theatres