BOTTOM LINE
Quirky Sports Saga Minus Cliches
PLATFORM
SonyLIV
RUNTIME
2h 30m
What Is the Film About?
Five friends who fail their 12th-grade exams seek college admission through sports quota (boxing). Led by Jojo Johnson, they join the local Alappuzha Gymkhana boxing school under coach Salim, and later, Antony Joshua. What begins as a casual effort to bide their time evolves into a tale of friendship, self-discovery, and grit as they train and compete in district/state championships.
Performances
Though Naslen is the most recognisable face in the film, the story wisely avoids overly distracting itself to give him more prominence. It still makes the most of his goofy persona, and the actor fits the role of Jojo perfectly. Lukman Avaran is well-cast as the hot-blooded coach, while Anagha Ravi has a lot of fun in her brief appearance.
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Shine Tom Chacko’s cameo, however, doesn’t quite add much value to the overall proceedings. Others, including Ganapathi, Sandeep Pradeep, Franco Francis, Habish Rahman, Shiva Hariharan, Shon Joy, and Karthik (to name a few), display terrific on-screen camaraderie, which adds significantly to the humour.
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Analysis
Alappuzha Gymkhana is an unlikely coming-of-age story where five good-for-nothing friends who have barely scraped through their 12th exams try to find purpose in life through a sport – boxing. The sport is initially just an excuse to earn grace marks and secure a spot in a respectable college. Though seemingly aimless, the experiences bind them as a unit and teach valuable life lessons.
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What’s refreshing about it is its light-hearted tone. None of the friends – Jojo, DJ, Shanavas, Shifas, Cherthu – have made it big in life yet. The group is content with the little joys: bonding over a beer as if there is no tomorrow, wooing their crushes, earning a mouthful from their parents heading to bed. They don’t take themselves too seriously, and the story isn’t centred on a single protagonist.
The director sets the tone of the film quite early; here are five nobodies who want to scrape through in life but aren’t good at anything. Instead of attempting to clear their supplementary exams, they just want to give boxing a shot. Interestingly, the story is neither about their wins nor losses, steering clear of typical sports drama clichés and avoiding any moral preachings.
The young men decide to give their all to something, enjoy the process, face a few bumps, and realise they have a long way to go, but don’t mind the experience. Director Khalid Rahman narrates the story in a ‘chill bro’ mode, hinting to viewers to take it easy – ‘enjoy the match..er..movie..forget the result.’ It takes a while to appreciate the casual, carefree vibe where the boys have a blast.
The film is at its quirkiest best in the first hour, where it vividly establishes the world of the amateurs – their banter at the chicken shop, their travails with women, being friend-zoned, struggling to get physically fit for boxing, and the unexpected success at a local tournament. These moments build a genuine connection with the characters before they make their way onto the big stage.
The humour in Alappuzha Gymkhana is born out of the boys’ attempts to punch above their weight — they dream big but meet with crushing blows often. It’s unconventional in its portrayal of failure. Amidst an occasional win and scores of losses, they’re demoralised, yes, but the director doesn’t make a big deal of it. They’re just finding their way, and don’t let a result define their life.
Alappuzha Gymkhana simply aims to be a raw yet light-hearted portrayal of late teenage years. It captures a phase where boys are free to have fun, fool around, experiment with different things, let experiences happen to them, and hope to make something of life. While it conveys this effectively, the momentum in the second hour dips at points, and the narrative at times feels a bit directionless. The climax still leaves you with a good aftertaste, setting a platform for a sequel.
Like most mainstream cinema, the sports drama risks being a film by men, for men, of men, but it makes some effort to tweak that narrative. Brief appearances featuring women show them having some agency, expressing their ideas freely, and putting the boys in their place when needed. While Alappuzha Gymkhana isn’t a laugh riot, it is a generally funny sports comedy, effectively showcasing local realities and rising above typical genre stereotypes.
Music and Other Departments?
Vishnu Vijay’s music has an upbeat, spirited vibe that captures the vibrancy of the ‘bromance’ among the boys, though the recall value of the songs is debatable. Jimshi Khalid’s skilful camera work adds authenticity to the sports backdrop, enhancing the film’s immersive feel.
However, the action choreography, specifically in the boxing ring, feels underwhelming and repetitive, which is one reason why the second hour doesn’t quite reach the heights audiences might expect. The film could have been more engaging with sharper writing; a few moments in both halves tend to overemphasise the obvious, slightly diminishing their impact.
Highlights?
Unique story
Bromance, humour
Quirky characterisation
Drawbacks?
Momentum dip in the second half
Dull action choreography
Slightly over-stretched
Did I Enjoy It?
Generally, yes
Will You Recommend It?
Yes, go for it if you enjoy quirky sports comedies
Alappuzha Gymkhana OTT Movie Review by M9
