Jhund Movie Review: A sports film that tells you a lot about the game of life
Cast & Crew
Amitabh Bachchan, Chaya Kadam, Ashok Kadam, Rinku Rajguru, Akash Thosar
Director
Nagraj Popatrao Manjule
Devesh Sharma, Mar 6, 2022 16:38 IST
Rating: 3.5 / 5
Vijay Borade (Amitabh Bachchan) teaches in St John's college in Nagpur. The educational institute is situated next to a vast slum. One day, Vijay spots some slum youngsters Ankush 'Don' (Ankush Gedam), Babu (Priyanshu Kshatriya), Angel (Angel Anthony), Vishakha (Vishakha Uikey), Yogesh (Yogesh Uikey), Raziya (Rajiya Kazi) etc. playing football using an plastic can during the rains. He comes to the conclusion that the young people living in the slum have taken to a life of drugs and crime because they don't have any other source to channelize their energies. He provides them with a football and asks them to play daily against an allowance of 500 rupees. Initially, they do it for the money, but later, they get hooked on the game and start playing for fun. He forms a slum football team and leads them to a victory against the football team of his college. Later, he goes on to organize a national slum football tournament in Nagpur. Towards the end, we get to know that he's invited to form a team and enter India into an international slum football tournament...
Director Manjule was inspired by the exploits of Vijay Barse, who two decades ago, founded the slum soccer tournament in Nagpur with an aim towards rehabilitating slum children. His work gained nationwide publicity when he was featured on Aamir Khan's Satyamev Jayate. Manjule has fictionalised the events leading to the formation of a slum football team and later the tournament. While the first half has more of the action and breezes away, the second half is set in a more sedentary pace. And there's a reason for that. Change doesn't come easy. It takes time. Ankush Gendam’s character is involved in multiple police cases and it takes time for him to let go of his anger and aggression and get a clearance by the police for traveling abroad. Rinku Rajguru's character is shown to live in a remote adivasi belt. She doesn't possess either an identity proof or proof of being an Indian citizen. She’s made to run from pillar to post in order to get a passport made. You gnash your teeth in frustration seeing her battle red-tapism every step of the way. Manjule is making a point that the people who dwell in the grassroots region aren't even recognized as citizens by bureaucracy. What they need is empathy and education about their basic rights and citizens. Otherwise, they'll continue to be marginalised. The most poignant scene in the film is where each member of the team introduces himself to Vijay. Their backstories have a common thread of violence and child abuse. They've given up on themselves and one can see that they see football as a catalyst towards change.
Most of the actors have been picked from the streets and have given true to life performances. Ankush Gendam is a find and so is Rajiya Kazi. Rinku Rajguru and Akash Thosar too shine in their brief roles. The star of the film, of course, is Amitabh Bachchan, playing perhaps the most understated role of his career. Seeing that he's acting alongside non-actors, he has miraculously shrunk his larger-than-life persona and is seen here as a common man struggling to execute an uncommon idea. He's Vijay Borade throughout the film. The only time where Amitabh Bachchan surfaces is in the courtroom scene, where he gives an impassioned plea to the judge to see the difference between India and Bharat and give his wards a chance to prove himself. Bachchan is our gold standard in acting and has proved that point yet again in this film.
While Nagraj Manjule has taken a documentary-like approach, he's made sure the film entertains as well as educates. The football choreography is brilliant and gives you the impression of watching a match on the big screen. Immersive cinematography by Sudhakar Reddy Yakkanti adds to the film's allure. All-in-all, Jhund is a technically sound film with its heart in the right place and teems with fine performances from everyone involved. Kudos to Manjule for his brilliant follow up to Sairat.
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