Jhund is a biopic
Bollywood has been making biopics in Jhund (Horde) since the success of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag in 2013. Over the course of last 9 years, we have had a barrage of sports biopics. Some like Mary Kom have done wonderfully well, while others like Saina and Azhar have fallen flat on the box office.
In short, the public has become bored of the biopic genre mainly due to bollywood overdoing the formula.
Even in recent year we have had some lackluster biopics that tanked at BO like the much hyped 83. (For review of 83 click here)
Unfortunately, Jhund has fallen victim to that fatigue and audiences have missed out on a really well made film.
Back story
Jhund is the biopic of Vijay Barse, a retired sports coach who decided to invest his time in changing the lives of slum youth through soccer. The real story in itself is highly inspirational and makes for a great reading. Vijay Barse went on to organize a national football tournament of the slum football teams all over India. Needless to say, this is a biopic worth watching just for inspirational purpose.
Grips and slips
The movie has been directed by Nagraj Manjule (Sairat). The inspirational character of Vijay Barse has been portrayed by the best choice for such a role, the great Amitabh Bachchan. He has given a solid performance in the lead role, but the real stars of the show are the actors playing the slum kids. The casting team has to be commended for taking actors who actually do justice to the roles. Ankush Gedam as Don is the real life line of the movie.
The film can be described in to 2 halves. The first is the story of struggle as Vijay Barse struggles to get the kids serious about football. The match between the college team and the slum team is a real treat to watch. The sports action is so realistic that one can mistake it for the live telecast of a real match. The win for the slum team therefore makes for a feel good moment.
The second half though gets weighed down by melodramatic sequences and a lifeless romantic angle. The story feels like a drag at times and focuses too much on the struggle of Don instead of Vijay Barse.
My verdict
Jhund is the second best sports biopic in 2022. The best being Kaun Pravin Tambe. If the length could have been curtailed a bit, the movie could have drawn in a better response. Still, it is a movie that deserves a much better performance at the BO. If you are thinking of watching something good on OTT, this will be my recommendation for the week.
