Ghani movie review: Where's the drama honey?

2/5

Story:

Vikramaditya, one of the more popular boxers in the country, finds himself in the middle of a doping scandal that shatters his life beyond repair. His wife and son Ghani shift base to a new city, with the kid even promising his mother that boxing would never be a part of his life henceforth. The more Ghani tries to distance himself from the sport, the closer it gets to him. Ghani gradually makes a mark as a boxer and just when the going seems to be smooth, his temper gets the better of him at a crucial match. He appears down and out. All he needs is an opportunity to prove himself. Will he stand tall against his odds? Will he ever make peace with his father's past?

Review:

In a genre like a sports drama where a filmmaker has very little scope to play with or reinvent the wheel, one can't afford to forget the basics of storytelling for a mainstream audience - a solid emotional foundation, a riveting conflict and intriguing characterisation. Ghani wants to be a proper masala film, more than a sports drama. The boxing backdrop is just a modern-day top-up to pep up the proceedings and add a new colour to an old-school story with black and white characters. Despite its best efforts to be slick, stylish and appear cool, Ghani doesn't rise above its limitations. 

Ghani's seed idea is simplistic but effective - the protagonist not only has to fight for victory but also aims to restore the legacy left behind by his father. Beyond this core conflict, the writer, director Kiran Korrapati doesn't give due importance to other characters or care much about building the film's world. The setup and the writing lack any nuance or layers - everyone beyond the hero and his father is a caricature. Either Ghani has cheerleaders around him or opponents waiting to crush him. Apart from brief sparks, the screenplay is nauseatic at best and the passionless performances add insult to injury.

It's strange to see a mother melodramatically asking her 10-year-old son to stay away from boxing just because the sport left a bad taste in her family life. Beyond that, the filmmaker doesn't justify what woos the youngster back to the sport and convinces him to make a career out of it. The romance angle struggles to work even as a distraction but worse, it dilutes whatever little that works for Ghani. The backstory behind the doping scandal that shatters his family is purposely hidden from the viewer to create a so-called impact with the 'interval' bang - although you see it coming, it's one of the very few aspects in Ghani that wakes you up from slumber.

The post-interval flashback is another rare segment where Ghani gets its act right. You realise there's more to Vikramaditya than boxing and he looks to contribute more to the sport beyond the boxing ring. Upendra is a fantastic choice to play this part to perfection. Though a special cameo, it's his assertive screen presence and experience in handling masala fares that adds depth to the character. He's the sole reason we have some interest to look forward to the story later. It's another matter of discussion that everything after the flashback is a snooze-fest. 

It's also disappointing when filmmakers take audiences for granted and call it cinematic liberty - there's absolutely no interest from Kiran Korrapati to lend authenticity to the private boxing league backdrop. The league is just an excuse for the betting mafia to reign supreme and the masterminds behind the event appear like street goons wearing garish tuxedos and blazers. Though there's an attempt to resurrect the proceedings with a few twists later, they don't do much to alter your opinion about the film. Another major drawback is the absence of any tension in the on-field action - there's no adrenaline rush at all.

The composer S Thaman is the only one committed to igniting some fire in the proceedings; you notice his effort to make even the blandest of sequences work with the booming background score. Varun Tej appears lost in the larger-than-life story and there's hardly any intensity in the performance for us to buy his actions. Even going by the modest standards that Telugu cinema has set for female leads, Saiee Manjrekar gets one of the most bizarre roles for a leading lady in recent times, devoid of impact or purpose. 

Naresh's comical coach act doesn't provide many laughs, while Nadhiya and Jagapathi Babu are stuck in stereotypical, one-dimensional parts. George S Williams, the cinematographer and production designer Raveendar put their best foot forward in giving a stylish exterior to a regular masala film. Kiran Korrapati's major focus is on elevating the title character to stratospheric levels - what he had to do was put his feet on the ground. He is inconsistent in handling both aspects of the genre - the sport and the drama. 

Verdict:

There's nothing original or breathtaking about Ghani. It doesn't rise above the cliches of a regular sports drama - the writing is weak and the performances are mechanical, passionless. If the rest of the cast believed in Ghani as much as Upendra did in his brief cameo, you may have seen a different film.