Dhoni

Chasing cricket chimera

Lang: Telugu (U)
Cast: Prakash Raj, Akash, Mugdha Godse, Nazar, Sriteja, Radhika Apte
Director: Prakash Raj

After his inspirational social “Abhiyum Nanum”, director-actor Prakash Raj tries his hand at another social in “Dhoni”. This time about the parents’ obsession for a good education and the child’s diametrically opposite desire to take and excel in sport.

And as the title says its about chasing the cricket chimaera — national obsession and aspiration among youth. With IPL & T20 adding to the sport’s lure making the game that much more tantalising ticket to status, stardom and millionaire moolah dreams.

An adaptation of Mahesh Manjrekar’s Marathi movie “Shikshanacha Aicho Gho”, Prakash Raj’s “Dhoni” too straddles two trails. One, that of a middle-class father slogging it day in and day out in wanting to provide the best of education for his daughter Kaveri and son Karthick to fulfill parental obligation. The other, of a son aspiring to don the Indian cricketing colours and become another Dhoni. In the process the film also touches upon the various ills and pitfalls that has gnawed at country’s educational system et al.

Despite its well meaning and overtly honest intentions, the film, however, fails to rise above the mundane and mediocrity, given that Prakash Raj digresses from the main track adding sundry situations to spice up the sporting show, than providing a sensitive and socially uplifting feel to the flick. In that, “Dhoni”, which sees the Gentleman’s Game too in a cameo, turns out into a little tedious outing and a bit of a let-down given its larger dimensions but scores in its son-father bonding. Still Prakash Raj deserves kudos for trying to dabble and take on subjects socially relevant to the times despite the clichéd and contrived approach to the topic at hand.