10 trailer: Vinay Rajkumar in dark and grim film about a boxer

In film industry circles, release plans are normally laid avoiding clashes with major titles that are likely to knock the wind out of any other movie. If at all there is a box-office clash, the teams confidence in their stories are reason, but this is quite rare, as everyone involved knows that it will eat into each other’s business. Next Friday is one such date. Terminator, Titanic, and Avatar maker James Cameron’s much awaited Avatar 2 (Avatar: The Way of Water) is releasing across the world, with India getting a multi-lingual – English, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Telugu and Malayalam – outing.

While Sandalwood films had been announced for December 9 and then 23rd, with Shivarajkumar’s Vedha coming to theatres then, 16thwas widely shunned, leaving the playing field wide open for Avatar 2. Until Pushkara Mallikarjunaiah decided that his much-delayed film with Vinay Rajkumar, 10, should compte with Avatar 2.

The film, which marks the directorial debut of Kirik Party cinematographer Karm Chawla, will release on December 16, which was announced on social media only a few days ago. Netizens have been tweeting to Pushkara not to go ahead with this release plan, but it looks like he is firm in his decision, releasing a song and then the trailer without much fanfare on social media.

When we’d spoken to leading man Vinay, he admitted that he was also surprised by the sudden release, but since it’s been lying in the cans for three years, he reckons Pushkara is doing what seems best for the film. Talking about the film, Vinay had told OTTplay, “10 is not a larger-than-life portrayal of a boxer’s life, as we’ve seen in umpteen other films. This film presents the pitfalls of a career in boxing. It explores a local boxer’s journey from trying to get into the district, state and national level, and focuses on the struggles they endure in getting there. It’s about the days before they hit the limelight; including how they are sometimes misled and taken advantage of. Boxing is one part of the film, while the other is an emotional drama about the consequences the sport has on this person. My character hails from an economically weaker section of society. And for someone like him, getting into the sport and pursuing it becomes an expensive affair, whether it is to follow the right diet or get training. In most underdog tales about boxing, the protagonist is surrounded by a bunch of trainers, whereas for a rank newcomer in the sport, no support system may be available. Whatever he does, he has to do it on his own and that is what 10 captures.”

The trailer of the film captures exactly what Vinay had said, and does not paint a rosy underdog tale, where the protagonist rises above all odds and comes out victorious. Karm’s film is a more realistic look at the sport and those from underprivileged sections of society who take to it, sometimes even as an outlet for pent-up anger and frustration.

Karm’s film pairs Vinay with Anusha Ranganath, the sister of Ashika Ranganath, for whom 10 is her first as a leading lady. Also on the cast is Gopalkrishna Deshpande in a pivotal role.