Director: Chandan Arora
Producer: Chandan Arora
Star Cast: Siddharth, Aditya Pancholi, Anupam Kher, Padmapriya, Nicollete Bird, Ankur Vikal, Seema Biswas
Bollywood natives' proximity with various sportstars has been legendary. But the genre of sports never quite found any takers in the industry. Perhaps this is what made director Chandan Arora to forge such a film, which has the undertones of a homely sport but is kept subtle and just as a leading plot, Striker. It's a neat film yet it's not a film to be viewed with family.
Striker is a story of a boy named Surya (Sidddharth) who discover in tender age that he has what it takes to be an excellent carom player. His elder brother Chandrakant (Anoop Soni) teaches him the tricks of the trade and Surya manages to become Junior Carom Champion. However, his rise to striking stardom halts as he's burdened with his family's needs. Convinced that Dubai has the opportunities he is seeking out for a profitable income, Surya slogs hard and deposits his hard-earned cash with a travel agent. Unfortunately, the rogue dupes him and runs away with his cash. With life's challenges pestering too much on him, he takes to the board again but this time not as a player. He gambles his talent for his family. His only friend in this thick mesh of dirty gambling is Zaid (Ankur Vikal). He stands by Surya through thick and thin even though he is not an ideal friend of anyone given his drug sniffing habit. The gamble brings Surya face to face with ganglord Jaleel (Aditya Panscholi). As if all this is not enough, the Hindu-Muslim riots following the Babri Masjid demolition wrecks Surya and questions his die-for friendship with a Muslim guy. Rest is how the ace carom player emerges as a winner with his friend in toe.
Giving the credits where it's due, the story is impressive and multilayered. Even the screenplay has the potential to keep you seated. A few scenes in the film are stark and can give goosebumps to anyone. A person, who can brace reality in its ugliest form possible, won't wince at the everyday monstrosity that unfolds in certain sequences. Same can be said about the dialogues, which are also desolate. Though a relatively small romantic plot is used in the film between Surya and Noorie (Nicollete Bird), it is lovely and sometimes funny. The riot scenes are superbly shot and acted.
Now coming to its cons, the multilayered attribute of the script messes up the whole film. It is not that we haven't seen a film with collective plots but when you have such a theme at hand, you need the precision to carry off every plot effectively. Unfortunately, Striker fails in this particular point and that too pathetically. Keeping audience guessing is a good motive, but too much of it can wane their interest from the film. Instead of using so many plots in one film, director Chandan Arora could have stuck to the basic idea: carom. Also, the pace of the movie is quite slow for today's time.
Watching Siddharth in the movie would hit you with a question: If Rang De Basanti was his best act, what would you say about this? He's simply superb in the movie. Very convincing and believable! But it's his best friend in the film Ankur Vikal who steals the thunder from under his nose. He is awesome in the movie. Aditya Panscholi as the crimelord is fascinating. He reinvents himself in this film. Anupam Kher again falls prey to mediocrity, as he doesn't have much to do in the film. Seema Biswas is convincing while Vidya Malvade is passable.
Striker is not a must see but can be watched if you don't have any better thing to do. However, don't expect anything from this film. Let it surprise you if it can.
-filmnirvana team
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