Siddharth’s latest film ‘Striker’ is his second film in Hindi after ‘Rang De Basanti’ which released way back in 2006. Directed and produced by Chandan Arora, the film also stars Vidya Malvade, Padmapriya, Anupam Kher, Ankur and Aditya Pancholi in important roles. Set in the slums of Mumbai when it was Bombay the film narrates the story of a spirited young man who grows up to become the ‘Champion’ in Carroms and the ups and downs in his life.

What is it about : Siddharth stars as Surya, a spirited young man who’s taught the art of playing carroms at a young age. He grows up in a slum- ‘Malvani’ in the heart of Mumbai where Muslims are the majority of the population. The story begins when Mumbai was Bombay back in 1977 and narrates the incidents and coming of age of Surya till the year 1992. Jaleel (Aditya Pancholi) is a local don who controls all the drugs trafficking in the region and he’s aided by Zaid (Ankur) who happens to be Surya’s best friend. Surya wants to make a career in Dubai and has almost given up on Carroms now; however destiny has different plans for him as his criss-crosses with Jaleel’s. How does Surya tackle the ups and downs in his life? How does he go on to become the champion in Carroms? That forms the rest of the story of this well-researched and meticulously written biopic.

What is Good: First things first, ‘Striker’ is a meticulously researched and well-written story and Chandan Arora and Sunita Rajwar both deserve an applause for their hard work. It’s a fictional account based on true incidents which took place back in the 80’s in Malvani. Some of the film’s most endearing moments are the parts of budding love between Surya (Siddharth) and Noorie (Nicolette Bird) and those when Surya gets a hold of ‘Striker’ initially. They set the tone for the film and make you yearn for more such inspiring moments. The background score by Shree, a London based musician is terrific and goes extremely well with the mood of the film. The music composed for the songs is soothing and almost all the songs have good lyrics. Cinematography by P.S.Vinod is top notch and the sense of urgency in the camera movements and angles compliment the realism of the subject. Chandan Arora’s direction is good in parts and he strikes a good balance between narrating a simple story set in slum and also defining the personality of Surya who never veers away in the wrong path.

Of the cast, Siddharth carries the whole film on his shoulders and he does his best to understand the character of Surya and enacting it with conviction. He excels when it comes to depict anger, romance; however his diction doesn’t suit the characterization. Ankur is impressive as Zaid who’s Surya’s best friend. Aditya Pancholi is alright in his role as Jaleel. Vidya Malvade and Padmapriya deliver credible performances. Nicolette Bird’s role as Noorie is beautifully handled albeit for a short duration. Veteran actors Anupam Kher and Seema Biswas perform their roles with ease.

What is bad: There’s an inherent problem with such stories which are touted to be a work of fiction based on true incidents. Surya’s role leaves us in two minds whether to empathize with his life or to watch him just as a fictional character. The film is more of a biopic which narrates the life of Surya and biopics work when they are engaging and inspiring. ‘Striker’ falls short of being both. It does engage you in parts however it doesn’t sustain it till the end. On the other hand, the clash between Jaleel and Surya could have been handled in a better way. When the film is about how Surya’s perseverance to not succumb to the evils around him, the question is why does he keep landing at Jaleel’s door all the time? In a way, Jaleel fails to strike a terror especially for someone who has so much power.

Bottom Line: ‘Striker’ is neither a sports film nor is it a film of an underdog whose life is a fairytale. Underdog stories are often predictable and ‘Striker’ cleverly avoids falling in that trap. The best part about ‘Striker’ is it tries to narrate the human angle of a spirited young man who’s a great player of Carroms. Technically, the film is brilliant and most part of the film is set in the night. The 80’s look of Bombay has been made possible because most part of the film has been shot in cramped bylanes and slums of Mumbai and the design of the film looks authentic. Having said that, ‘Striker’ isn’t overwhelming and it’s engaging only in parts. In the end, ‘Striker’ isn’t the kind of film that you can watch and munch popcorn and drink cola. It demands you to look into the layers of Bombay, the slums, Carroms and how people struggle to make the right decision. Yes, it’s an honest film and it’s also better to be ‘prepared’ before you go to be struck by this ‘Striker’.

P.S: A special mention to the ‘Carrom Consultant’, Zaid. Thanks to him, Siddharth can also look forward to a career in playing ‘Carroms’ besides acting, singing and possibly directing.