Alappuzha Gymkhana movie review: Naslen and Khalid Rahman deliver a new kind of sports film

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But what about the stories of athletes who aren’t in it for emotional reasons? Maybe they’re in it for the glam. Maybe it’s just a hobby. Or maybe their goal is to secure admission at the institute of their choice through a sports quota. These athletes don’t necessarily scream “Vidya Sharma, India!” Nor do their coaches give them “sattar minute” speeches. But won’t their stories also be interesting? Well, ace filmmaker Khalid Rahman proves that they are. His latest directorial Alappuzha Gymkhana stands as a testament to the fact that even their tales can be incredibly entertaining — when done right.

From the very first scene, Rahman makes it clear what he aims to do with Alappuzha Gymkhana and he nails the tone at the outset itself, brilliantly maintaining it until the very end. At no point does he allow the movie to derail or take a detour just for the sake of it. This is the story of a group of young adults who take up boxing not out of passion, but to earn grace marks and secure admission through the sports quota. For them, boxing isn’t a matter of overt pride. Regardless, they never treat the sport with disdain anywhere. Once they join the classes, they’re all in, eager to prove themselves.

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Yet, their ambitions don’t stretch to the Olympics, the Asian Games or even the Nationals. They simply hope — if possible — to ensure their district’s victory in the state championship. Alappuzha Gymkhana is not even your typical underdog story where the hero, Jojo Johnson (a brilliant Naslen), and his team eventually defy the odds to win it all. In fact, Jojo isn’t even the best boxer among them; nor does he magically rise above everyone and lead his team to the finish line in the end. He’s a strictly average boxer with his own motivations. One is to prove to fellow boxer Natasha (a spectacular Anagha Maya Ravi) — a far more talented athlete — that he’s worth considering as a potential date. The other is to show others that he’s not an absolutely hopeless case.

The second, however, is an easier task since most of his teammates-cum-friends are more or less at the same level, barring a few exceptions like the slightly senior boxer Deepak Panikkar (Ganapathi S Poduval). Nonetheless, once he reaches the Kerala State Amateur Boxing Championship venue, Jojo too starts dreaming that at least a few members of his team win, just to prove that the boys from Alappuzha aren’t all talk and no action.

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Much like in his other films, Khalid Rahman manages to flesh out all the major characters here too, without overlooking anyone. Each person has a distinct identity and a clear place in the Alappuzha Gymkhana team. Among them, Jojo is simply a character in focus and not the absolute protagonist in the conventional sense. “Kozhi aano atho comedy aano? (Are you a flirt or a comedic character?)” Natasha even asks him at one point, highlighting how we’ve started moving away from hero-worship scenes and dialogues that are meant solely to satisfy a male actor’s ego or pander to their fan bases, and focus on making the film as realistic as possible.

Interestingly, there’s even a scene where Jojo, right after his own defeat, is shown celebrating Natasha’s success in the ring, recognising and appreciating her true potential. It’s moments like these that give this Khalid Rahman directorial a sense of freshness. Even the one-liners, humorous exchanges and moments designed to evoke laughter mostly land well. Although they may not make you laugh out loud, they still work effectively and thus, Alappuzha Gymkhana never wipes the smile off one’s face for even a moment.

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Shockingly (since it’s an Indian movie), no character has a sad past or a sadder present. Even Coach Antony Joshua (a jaw-droppingly magnificent Lukman Avaran), despite being a former national champion, leads an ordinary life now and he’s not another short-tempered coach haunted by the ghosts of his past. With wit distributed evenly across the movie and its characters, Rahman ensures there’s never a dull moment in Alappuzha Gymkhana.

Compared to his previous works, Khalid Rahman doesn’t quite reach big heights in Alappuzha Gymkhana. This might partly be because there isn’t much happening and nothing significant at stake in the narrative. Since most of the story unfolds in a single venue, without any major tension between characters, the film leans heavily on small moments. For those who appreciate that kind of storytelling, this might be the perfect watch. However, even these moments come across as middling at times and don’t always manage to fully engage the audience in the narrative.

 

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That said, the way Rahman has crafted the boxing matches and the climax fight underscores why he’s one of Malayalam cinema’s finest visual storytellers today. Even while experimenting with the camera and angles inside the ring, he ensures that the visuals maintain an organic flow and aesthetic appeal. Thanks to Jimshi Khalid’s impressive cinematography and Nishadh Yusuf’s extraordinary editing, Alappuzha Gymkhana becomes a visual treat, further elevated by Vishnu Vijay’s exceptional music and Vishnu Govind’s top-notch audiography.

Considering that many of our actors still hesitate to undergo rigorous, appropriate training for their roles — unlike their international counterparts who are more professional in that regard — and instead opt for superficial crash courses, the effort shown by the Alappuzha Gymkhana cast is commendable. Their dedication proves just how pitch-perfect a film can appear when the input by actors is truly adequate.

 

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From Naslen, Lukman Avaran and Anagha Ravi to Ganapathi S Poduval, Karthik and Franco Francis, each actor seems tailor-made for their respective roles, and not the other way around. Every one of them delivers their absolute best, with Anagha and Ganapathi deserving special mention. Naslen also deserves praise, not only for playing the part brilliantly, but for smartly choosing a character that challenges him, demanding a new body language, dialect and aura that he brings to the table. Though their screen time is limited, Noila Francy and Nanda Nishanth also leave a lasting impact.

Alappuzha Gymkhana movie cast: Naslen, Lukman Avaran, Ganapathi S Poduval, Anagha Ravi
Alappuzha Gymkhana movie director: Khalid Rahman
Alappuzha Gymkhana movie rating: 3 stars