Stand By Hindi Movie
Chak De! India, Goal, Iqbaal, Hindi film industry has actually tapped all types of sports to spin a story around it. But it's not always that a movie centred on a less publicised sport of India makes the right cut. Yash Raj Films' Chak De! India worked very well with the masses, Goal turned out to be damp squib while Iqbal only managed to get critical acclaim. Stand By too wants to be part of Chak De's league as it's a movie on a sport that is a favourite of many when Maradona or lately Messi is on the field - Football. Now it only remains to be seen whether it meets its purpose or not.
Shekhar (Siddhart Kher) and Rahul are two budding and potential footballers with different behavioural traits but are thick friends. While Rahul is rooted to the ground, Shekhar, thanks to his illustrious millionaire father Dalip Tahil, cares a damn. Shekhar's aggressive nature on the field loses him a place in the national team even though his father leaves nothing unturned to get him selected. On the other hand, Rahul makes it to the list riding on his merit. This initiates a process to kick Rahul out of the team and Shekhar in whichever twisted way possible.
The bright side of Stand By is that it moves at a steady good place and the pace is maintained throughout. The initial 30 minutes make for an interesting watch purely for the matches shot in a gripping manner. The conspiracies and their failures are nicely written and executed. Even the sub plots keep you hooked. The entire credit going to four times national award winning director Sanjay Surkar for presenting the crisp initial minutes.
But in a bid to make it intense and edgy Sanjay brings in a constant graph of highs and lows that disturb you. The moment the story starts griping it fizzles out only to get back on after sometime. Many situations and sequences in the film are left on assumptions. Screenplay could have been tighter. Songs crop up at places unexpected leaving you irritated and are completely unnecessary. The rivalries between the friends are not explored well.
Stand By has its moments but they are very few and now enough to hold your attention. The entire film is fizzles out even before it takes off. Watch it if you have nothing else to do.
