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REVIEW: Hurman's Victory

It is a sad attempt at making a film on the most popular National pastime

By Anand Vaishnav . Buzz18 Jan 29, 2009

On learning about his son's exclusion from the Indian team, Anupam Kher suffers a paralytic stroke. Later when the boy steers his team to victory in a thrilling comeback, he miraculously recovers - for one last time. This is just one of the many melodramatic moments this so-called sports flick boasts of.

Promising cricketer Vijay Shekhawat (Hurman S Baweja, in a daring attempt to appropriate what has been Bachchan's screen alias for decades) makes it to the Indian team after years of struggle. Following a smashing debut, he is flooded with contracts and endorsements deals. Expectedly, our young man loses both focus and form. After being dropped by selectors and snubbed by advertisers, Vijay undergoes an attitudinal change. And what do you know? Braving a serious head injury during a match, he leads India to a near-impossible win. Interestingly, Hurman's rise and fall and rise again is quite similar to his ex-girl friend's award-winning track in Fashion. But minus the emotional impact.

Dull innings:

Come to think of it, expectations from a sports flick are not that high. It's usually about the underdog's journey from obscurity and failure to being recognised, appreciated and feted. And it all comes together in a gripping, emotional finale. Victory follows the same premise. But what is appalling is that it fails to deliver the basics. In a film about cricket, there is not enough cricket to watch. None of the innings played on screen manage to evoke the staple edge-of-the seat thrills of a sports flick. Even a Holland vs. Canada ODI promises more action than what is shown here.

Clichd melodrama:

The film is saddled with clichd melodrama that makes you cringe. I can't even recall the number of stereotypical dialogues and scenes this film crams in. It's a film where an out of form cricketer touches the coach's feet before a crunch game. It's a film in which celebrity managers are referred to as dalals and endorsement money is called 'gandi kamai'. It's a film where everyone screams out of their lungs regardless of the situation.

Zero research:

Clearly not enough research has gone into the depiction of an actual dressing room, team selection processes, fitness regime details, coaching methods and the sportsman - celebrity manager equation. Instead this film looks like an cut-paste of cricket gossip from prime time news bulletins. It seems someone out there wanted to tap into the hype and the sensationalism around the most popular sport in the country. There is little in this film to prove the filmmakers' love for the game. If anything, the filmmakers seem to be awestruck by the stardom, the hysteria and the fanaticism around cricket. And that's all they want to capture. If there's big monies in the game, why not make some with a film on the same, eh?

No sporting spirit:

In a truly objectionable sequence, Anupam Kher's character is shown justifying the mob fury that erupts after any big defeat, the mindless acts of vandalism perpetrated by hysterical fans. On a number of occasions Hurman swears at his opponents before sending them to the cleaners. Where's the sporting spirit?

A sincere premise:

To be fair, Victory has a relatable premise. In this era of 20-20 cricket, we are used to stories of meteoric rises and mighty falls. Victory makes several indirect references to Dhoni's success story and Yuvraj's flamboyant lifestyle. There's also a scene showing Hurman raising his bat to the sky, much like Sachin Tendulkar who dedicates all his innings to his deceased father. But all such attempts at striking an emotional chord, ends up tickling you silly. Unintentionally of course.

Too many extremes:

Victory works like a Manoj Kumar film. Where life is all black and white, good and bad, swinging between extremes. Vijay's successful run is implausible - he scores a hattrick of centuries. On being exposed to the glamour world he seems to enjoy more riches than a Hollywood star. And when he is down he can't even go past a duck. Post his comeback, 'endorsement' is a bad word and he is able to score 50 off just 12 balls! Compare it to the believable failures and hard-won triumphs in Iqbal and Chak De India, and Victory would seem way too simplistic, unrelatable.

Bret Lee's acting debut:

For a cricket fan it's fun watching some of the biggest names from the international circuit. You even have half a dozen commentators from Navjot Singh Siddhu (whose Siddhuisms get generous screen time) to Tony Greig to even Atul Wasan - all mouthing their trademark cricket jargon. Bret Lee is actually quite a delight on screen. Displaying typical Aussie wit he tells Hurman he wants him to recover soon so that he kick his butt once again. In another scene he warns him saying his deliveries are meant to break skulls. Hurman's repartee is simply a bunch of Hindi expletives. Hope Symonds' legal team does not watch this scene.

Sports films are known for their snappy one-liners, inspirational speeches and nail-biting finishes. None of which can be found in Victory. Even the most average American soccer flicks manage to win audiences because, end of the day, they are fun films to watch. Victory is no fun either.

Sincere Hurman needs to get clever:

Baweja's effort shows (sometimes a little too much for his own good) and you can't question his sincerity. He has even shaken off the Hrithik-isms. But thanks to his choice of projects he seems destined to be stuck in a rut, much like the struggling batsman in the initial reels of this film. After making a mess of science fiction in Love Story 2050 he messes up yet another genre this time.
The rest of the actors sleepwalk through their parts. Hurman and Amrita however make a very cute couple - much better than his Priyanka Chopra pairing.

Verdict: Victory is a sad attempt at making a film on the most popular National past time. You'd be better off playing book cricket at home instead.

Rating: 1.5/5

http://buzz18.in.com/news/movies/review-hurmans-victory/112892/0

I have no expectation for this movie.

By Taran Adarsh, January 30, 2009 - 10:57 IST

LAGAAN and IQBAL are landmark films on cricket. The response to LAGAAN specifically was so electrifying [and emotional] that theatres turned into stadiums during the penultimate cricket match in the film.

VICTORY traverses a different route altogether: This one revolves around a cricketer, talks of the highs and lows in his life, how greed, arrogance and lust almost ruin his career, but how he regains his lost form and becomes a hero all over again.

Write your own movie review of Victory The difference also lies in the fact that the sportsmen in the film aren't actors, pretending to be cricketers, but real-life cricketers. And that makes the goings-on identifiable.

VICTORY may not be a true-life account of any one person, but you can't help but draw parallels with people who led a wild life off the field. Also, any sports-based film works if it arouses the right emotions and VICTORY does so towards the final moments. But there's a hitch. The film could've done with a shorter running time [instead of approx. 2.35 hours] and a tight script. More on that later!

Final words? A few interesting moments don't really help. This one tries to hit a boundary, but ends up taking a single.

VICTORY tells the story of Vijay Shekhawat [Harman Baweja], who hails from Jaisalmer. Soon, he becomes India's latest world-class batting sensation and is catapulted to superstardom.

However, the glam and glitter makes the young, vulnerable Vijay stray from his true vocation of cricket. Unfortunately, this leads to a loss of focus and to a miserable drop in his performance. But by the time Vijay realizes his mistake, he finds himself thrown out of the Indian cricket team. Suddenly, the hero becomes a villain in everyone's eyes. His father [Anupam Kher] suffers a paralytic stroke.

This tragedy awakens Vijay's conscience. He wants to redeem himself in the eyes of his father and every Indian. Against great odds, he once again makes it back to the Indian team and gets to play in the finals of the Champion's Trophy against Australia, where he plays a stellar role in enabling India to win the Trophy.

Ajitpal Mangat chooses a difficult subject for his directorial debut. Placing immense trust on a newcomer [Hurman] and casting real-life characters could be tough and demanding, besides being expensive [cricketers' fees and paying for the various stadiums]. But Ajitpal achieves the required results.

The initial moments are very mediocre, but the pace picks up when Harman goes astray, when he can't digest success, when he falls into wrong hands [Gulshan Grover]. The graph is erratic; sometime interesting, at times boring. However, what rescues the film from failing are the penultimate moments, especially the one when Hurman faces the final ball.

On the flip side, the writing isn't convincing at several points. The first 30 minutes of the enterprise makes you break into a yawn, frankly. Also, the film is stretched in the second hour for no reason and could've done with some tight editing. The songs in this hour are a big deterrent.

Ajitpal Mangat makes a confident debut as a director, but VICTORY would've made a stronger impact if the writing [screenplay: Ajitpal Mangat, Kannan Iyer] would've been watertight. Anu Malik's music is listless. Barring 'Balla Utha' and 'Money Money', the remaining songs are of the fast-forward type. Cinematography is excellent.

Hurman S. Baweja displays the required confidence. He gets the body language right, looks dapper when required and conveys the required emotions well. Only thing, he needs to control his expressions at times. Amrita Rao does very well, although this isn't her film actually. Anupam Kher gets it right yet again, especially towards the second hour when he suffers a paralytic stroke. Gulshan Grover is very effective.

On the whole, VICTORY is a strictly average fare. Barring a few moments in the second hour, there's not much that you carry home.

2/5

http://www.bollywoodhungama.com/movies/review/13745/index.html

Victory - Movie Review Jun 27, 2008 - 1:11:30 AM By NaChaKi

Victory (2008)
Cast: Nitin, Mamatha Mohandass, Shashank, Sindhu Tholani, Duvvasi Mohan, Ashutosh Rana, Allari Ravibabu, Satya Prakash, Ravi Kondala Rao, Supreeth, Ajay, Tanikella Bharani, Sana, M.S. Narayana, Brahmanandam, Ali, Abhinayasri, Nuthan Prasad, etc.

Dialogues: Ravi C. Kumar, Kaluva Krishna Sai
Art: B. Venkateshwara Rao
Costumes: K. Prasad
Camera: Vijay C. Kumar
Screenplay: Ravi C. Kumar
Choreography: Swarna, Shankar, Noble
Music Director: Chakri
Lyrics: Chandrabose, Kaluva Krishna Sai
Fights: Ram-Laxman
Editing: K.V. Krishna Reddy
Co-Producer: V. Suresh Reddy
Presenter: K. Atchi Reddy
Co-Director: Ramanatha Reddy
Producer: Venkat
Banner: R.R. Movie Makers
Story, Screenplay, Direction: Ravi C. Kumar
Release Date: June 27, 2008

What's it all about?

The tagline "We for Victory" tells a lot of the story itself! Land mafia, Land grabbing, contemporary politics that plays with the middle-class people, corrupt government officials and elected leaders, local goons - all these on one side, and the hero and his friends pitted on the other, and you have Victory. In short, Vijay Chandra (Nithin) is a strong, daring youth of a middle-class family (Tanikella Bharani & Sana) that wants to join the police force (and that explains his 8-pack body). Local MLA Devaraj (Ashutosh Rana) is also a land grabber who eyes plots in Seetharam Nagar, located 50 km away from the HITEC City!

These plots were originally given away by a Gandhiian freedom fighter Pingali Venkataramayya (Ravi Kondala Rao), because the latter firmly believes that land, air, and water belong to everyone and no one should try to own them. Hero's family being one among the original owners, the hero tries in vain to bring unity among people to fight against the MLA. Will his friends Ravi (Shashank), Satyam (Duvvasi Mohan), Sindhu (Sindhu Tholani), etc.) help him fight the battle or leave him as a lone warrior? How can he motivate them against fear of facing the wrath of the baddies?

Performances

Cast:
Nitin built up his body as required for the character that gets into action as and when necessary. His dance in the first song is done with ease, and his performance is good but not great! He still needs to work on his diction some more. Mamatha Mohandas has a role that's not strongly connected to the story, as Janaki who's supposed to marry Nithin. She looks good on the screen and has the right performance too, but her role is largely wasted. Sindhu Tholani appears as a TV5 reporter that cares to see a better society. Her performance is okay, though in a limited role. Shashank is good in a boy-next-door kind of role, who helps execute the protagonist's plans. Duvvasi Mohan gets an important role as one of the two friends of the hero, and he does offer some relief through his role.

Ashutosh Rana has his usual ease in the role of a politician turned goon. Among the comedians, M.S. Narayana gets a role similar to that of Prakash Raj's in Premaku Velaayeraa...! (Remember Prakash Raj-Brahmanandam episodes?) His character is rightly etched to suit the theme of the movie, and he does a good job presenting it too.Brahmanandam-Ali episode was intended to give some comedic relief while showing current scenario of corruption in government offices, but Abhinayasri's inclusion was unncessary.

Krishna Bhagawan, who's always appreciated for his timing and satirical comedy, has hardly any dialogues in the film, and is thus wasted! Tanikella Bharani did well as the protagonist's dad who also helps him fight the battle, and Sana did her part well too. Ravibabu, as the MLA's advocate, is used more as a comedian than a villain's yes-man. The rest of the cast is adequate.

Technical Departments:

The story revolves around contemporary issues and daily news that concerns each one of us - the common public. Such thought-provoking stories laced around current social affairs are required to be made as movies, and the director should be appreciated for sticking to the same genre after Samanyudu. However, the screenplay could have been a lot tighter and without discontinuities. The first half moves at a relaxed pace without even touching the actual story nearly half-way through the first half! However, the interval bang maintains the curiosity of the audience, and the second pace moves through real story.

While the first half seems wasted, the second half has songs that were quite unnecessary for the movie's flow. On the whole too, song placement is bad. And, some of the songs didn't require dances by the hero, you'd feel when you listen to the lyrics, but he's made to dance in all songs except the theme song in the background! Choreography was good for the first song. However, the picturization of the song prEmanEdi... is innovative.

Dialogues are aptly written for this movie that makes you think, with sprinkles of comedy here and there. Fights are just okay. Camera work is quite impressive. Music is adequate, but doesn't seem a good fit for the lyrics. Re-recording leaves a lot to expect. Editing is okay. Title graphics need a special mention, and the director should be appreciated for the idea of using newspapers, according to the theme of the movie. The hero's gym trainer is also credited, as a token of thanks for showcasing Nithin as the first 8-pack hero in Telugu. Voice-over Jagapathi Babu was limited.

Impressive Scenes/Dialogues:

* Nithin to Bharani: mee meeda oTTu! Bharani to Sana: osE, nee boTTu!
* Shashank: Tiffin lEka okaDu EDustunTE tip kOsam inkODu EDchinaTTundi!
* Nithin: Gandhi gaaru mahaatmuDu endukayyaarO ippuDu arthamaindi! kOTla mandiO unity elaa teesukocchaarO!
* Nithin: ivaaLa prajallO unity raavaalanTE galliikO Gandhi raavali, sir!
* Shashank: Daivadheenam anna need pErukii, nuvvu chEsE panulakii Emainaa sambandham undaa?
Krishna Bhagawan: paanDavula peddannayya Dharmaraju ani pEru peTTukuni joodam aaDalaa? idee antE!

Bottom Line:

The film is supposed to be a thought-provoking movie on the whole, and it succeeds in being one. If you're looking for a movie that has a story around current affairs and political games played around people, this movie is for you. It doesn't have much commercial elements or comedy.

Reviewed by NaChaKi

Rating: 3/5

https://www.telugucinema.com/c/publish/moviereviews/victory_movie.php


Hurman's batting looks credible ( he trained for a few months), and his earnest playing of the part is miles away from the self-important, singing-dancing turn in his dud debut 'Love Story 2050'. Anupam and Amrita lend able support. But again, what makes this film less than riveting is that we know so much of it-- the setting, the situations—already. Blame the carpet coverage of Cricket on TV channels.

'Victory' has all the right intentions, but its execution is bland.

https://www.indianexpress.com/news/movie-review-victory/417118/


I hope that this film does ok atleast its not my kind of subject but i like amritas roles usually and interested to see harman again..so will watch but hope for his sake it does good and amrita needs better roles i am bored of these small roles compared to what she has done in ishq vishq , vivah and main hoon na, masti she needs more roles like that these seem dull in comparision.

Escape from Victory

Bikash Mohapatra
January 30, 2009 13:14 IST

There's something that directors Ajitpal Mangat and Ashutosh Gowariker have in common, besides the fact that both of them have made movies on cricket -- Victory in the first case, and Lagaan [Images] in the second.

They shared screen space in a forgettable venture called Indrajeet, way back in 1991. The then would-be directors played victims on whom the hero (Amitabh Bachchan [Images]) wreaked vengeance.

Thereafter, Gowariker appeared in a few more films and then wielded the directorial baton -- fumbling twice (Pehla Nasha, Baazi) and then making Lagaan, aruguably the best film made in India with cricket as a backdrop.

Mangat, on the other hand, gave up his acting career, and moved on to the ad world before plunging into feature film direction with Victory.

Which brings us to Victory. The film tells the story of Vijay Shekhawat (Hurman S Baweja), a cricketer from Jaisalmer who aspires to make it big, endures initial failures, finally succeeds, subsequently loses his soul in the labyrinth, and then regains his lost glory.

It's a story we have seen many times in reality -- Yuvraj Singh [Images], Mahendra Singh Dhoni [Images], Suresh Raina, RP Singh and many more have come from small towns and finally made it very big.

Victory, of course, has the usual masala ingredients thrown in in good measure -- an understanding girlfriend (Amrita Rao [Images]), an upright father (Anupam Kher [Images]), a foe-camouflaged-as-a-friend (Gulshan Grover [Images]), a couple of coaches (Dalip Tahil and Tinnu Anand). And then the gimmick -- about 40 international cricketers in itsy-bitsy roles, Harbhajan Singh [Images] and Brett Lee [Images] more scenes than the others.

The film opens with the lines: 'Cricket is not a game in India. It's a passion, a religion, a way of life.' The director's idea of exploiting the game's huge popularity on celluloid may have seemed terrific on paper. But at the execution level, Victory becomes one of the many assembly line productions that Bollywood churns out every year -- high on hope, low on scope.

I can't help but draw an analogy at this junction. Since the emergence of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) as the global financial powerhouse at the turn of the century, the national team has hardly had respite from matches -- even the recently cancelled tour to Pakistan was substituted by a hush hush trip to Sri Lanka [Images]. It is this excess of cricket that has taken the charm out of the sport. So much so that even an Indo-Pak series -- which only a few years back was an occasion to wait for in eager anticipation -- now ensures ennui.

In the context of movies, Lagaan has done a BCCI. Just ask yourself: How many cricket-based movies can you remember before the 2001 film? You may throw up names like Dev Anand's [Images] Awwal Number or Kumar Gaurav's All Rounder or one or two more.

Now, try listing movies based on cricket post-Lagaan and the number keeps increasing -- Stumped, Iqbal, Chain Kulii Ki Main Kulii, Say Salaam India, Hat-Trick, Jannat [Images], Meerabai Not Out... Add Victory to this list.

And that's the film's main problem. It's just an addition, not a variation.

The blame lies mainly with the director. Mangat is neither a raconteur nor a master craftsman. And it is his inexperience, and the subsequent inability to tell a story differently that turned the film to an unintentional comedy. And the gimmick falls flat too.

Hurman, who had a terrible debut with Love Story 2050, disappoints the second time round too. Yet, he turns in an earnest act. His choice of movies may be questioned but not his effort. Let's hope he scores better with his next film, Gowariker's What's Your Rashee?.

1/5

thank god harman did better time then i will go watch this film for harman if he did well then that is all i need. i will watch it and see for my self i aint dependin on the reviews. i know at least i will like it.

I read some really good reviews about Harman in the movie ....

the movie sounds kind of okk. but reviews of harman seem good!

trust me, all u die hard cricket fans.

I will c dis movie fr sure..I will sound dumb..bt I actualli want to c dis movie onli fr Brett Lee..n though the reviews are average..I am sure tht I will hv to c dis movie cuz Brett Lee stars in it..n i think Harman is luking quite gud in d promos..Thnx fr the reviews

yup i watched it yesterday it was ok n a gud time pass