A film on carrom seemed like a good idea. Apart from cricket, this is one game very close to the hearts of Indians – and probably the most played indoor game before pool took over in the late '90s.
Chandan Arora's Striker is about carrom champ Surya (Siddharth). But it is not about the game alone. It is also about Surya's journey in which the game has played an integral part.
Striker travels back and forth in time between 1977 and 1992. The film is set in the Mumbai ghetto of Malvani. Smuggling and gang wars were big then, so were dreams of a job in Dubai, and carrom.
Surya is one such little boy from Malvani who gets introduced to the game through his champion brother Chandra (Anoop Soni), and also encounters the murky world of gambling in the game through gang leader Jalaal (Aditya Panscholi). Poor health keeps Surya away from school, and he goes on to win the junior nationals.
But Surya grows up to be a normal youngster, working as a courier. He dreams of going to Dubai, but as was common then, the employment agency dupes him. On top of that, he loses his first love Noorie (Nicolette Bird).
The dejected Surya's pal Zaid (Ankur Vikal) introduces him to Jalaal again to gamble in carrom in order to pay off his debt. Hesitant at first, Surya is drawn to the world. And not having practiced for 4-5 years, he finds a place to do it – a shanty bar run by a fisherwoman Madhu (Padmapriya). Soon, Zaid and Surya earn big bucks due to the latter's special skills. But not for too long.
The film takes a turn post interval, with many dramatic changes in Surya's life. These seem like little jerks in the screenplay at times. Like the unnecessary track of Madhu, who he happens to force himself upon and eventually marry.
Surya eventually takes revenge on Jalaal, but not for his debt. Watch the film to know why.
Striker's pace is slow, much like the '80s and early '90s it's based in. Also, the back stories are too many and it gets a li'l annoying as well as confusing for the viewer. The film has a good message told through the story of a carrom player. It is not about carrom, but about the game of life and how you strike to defend yourself.
Director Chandan Arora succeeds in showing the Mumbai of '80s. The setting and the life has been recreated well.
The narration style reminds us of Ram Gopal Varma's films. But unlike Ramu, Chandan goes a bit overboard with his baby – not knowing where to make it crisper. But a good effort nevertheless.
Actor Ankur Vikal who played the menacing Maman in Slumdog Millionaire, shines in Striker as well. His fun-loving, rangeela character complements Siddharth's soft-spoken, brooding Surya.
Siddharth is not too different from Rang De Basanti, acts well, and – it's worth mentioning – plays superb carrom.
Aditya Panscholi makes an impression as Jalaal, the villain.
Anupam Kher plays his part of a cop well. Seema Biswas a s Surya's mom is noticeable.
Southern star Padmapriya hardly has a role, but enacts her part well. Nicolette Bird and Vidya Malvade are good in bit parts.
The dialogues of the film are good, but sometimes not audible. Either there had to be a retake in shooting, or dubbing.
We wish the carrom shots were captured with a little more imagination. Yeah sure, it's not cricket or hockey with the whole ground to move your camera on, but still….
Verdict: All in all, Striker has its good moments, but it's difficult to say if it will work in multiplexes or single screens. But if the plot were a little cleaner and crisper, it would've struck a chord with everyone.
Rating: 2.5/5
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