Cast: Kathir, Roshni Prakash, Yogi Babu, Kishore
Director: Kumaran
Music Director: Sam CS
Though I’m still trying to figure out which genre out of the multiple ones adopted in the film was justified, I was glad that after a long time I saw some decent football sequences without the unnecessary usage of VFX or CG in a film originally touted to be a sports drama.
It didn’t involve trick shots to showcase the ball travelling through the air, nor did it miss out on the excitement that prevails during such matches. Although it did miss out on a strong and meaningful screenplay towards the end.
Jada (Kathir) is an exceptionally skilled street footballer from Pulliyanthope. He decides to participate in a seven’s no-rule football match hosted by the St. Thomas Mount football club along with his team to seek justice for his coach Sethu (Kishore) who dies unexpectedly in one of the ruthless matches.
The film should’ve just stuck to this plot without the infiltration of a senseless horror plot. It seemed like the director just wanted to add some supernatural elements to the narrative to keep up with the ‘trend’. So he added a character that does little in the film, a few dialogues and intertwined it with a random death in the film. It felt like three stories in one – Sports, Horror and Revenge Drama.
(Spoilers Begin)
When the entirety of Chennai seems to be celebrating Kishore for the coach that he portrays himself to be, his hometown Sathankulam is conveniently unaware of him, his family or even their death.
In fact, the semifinals and finals of the tournament are held at the town only in veneration of the great player. But there is not one hoarding or even a mention of Sethu throughout the town sequences.
The two halves of the movie have followed two completely different narratives. If one were to walk in during the second half and watch the movie, it would make complete sense to them. While first halves usually aid in the development of the story besides building the characters, this first half sought to educate us about how a seven’s match works which is of little relevance in the second half.
There also seems to be no rapport between the friends or between Kishore and Kathir, making the climax, which in itself was corny, hard to buy. If not for Richard Kevin’s racy cuts complemented by Sam CS’s background score (‘Apdi Paakathadi’ song works well too), the film would’ve easily lost one’s attention midway.
Kathir proves himself once again with a great performance after Pariyerum Perumal. Yogi Babu excels and garnered laughs and claps at several instances for his humour in the show I watched.
I only wish they had avoided the “template” of ridiculing the actor’s looks followed by a moment where he proves himself. Roshni Prakash, the heroine supposedly, is used like every Kollywood heroine in recent times. Even when she appears, she fails to emote.
Arun Prasath, Nishanth, and Rajkumar who play Kathir’s friends didn’t have much scope for performance although Gautham, who plays someone that is deaf-mute was given the spotlight. Just when you expect his to be a role of substance, the second half arrives to shatter your expectations. Kishore could’ve also been used with more caution.
Jada would serve as a clear example of how the post-production phase can spruce up a weak plot and hold it together. Right from the addition of dialogues in dubbing to restrained usage of CG to skillful editing and impactful sound, everything made the film bearable.
The Jada review is a Silverscreen.in original article. It was not paid for or commissioned by anyone associated with the film. Silverscreen.in and its writers do not have any commercial relationship with movies that are reviewed on the site.
