Ghani movie review: Varun Tej’s passion isn’t enough to save this worthless sports drama

Ideally, a film should not be viewed or discussed as a first and second stop. The narrative needs to work as a whole. in case of telugu film gunny, the focus on the script is so different in the two halves that it becomes difficult to see the film as a whole unit. The film, post intermission, exposes power play and politics in a game that in turn sets the stage for emotional drama.

It is a story of identity, revenge and good over evil, set up largely to introduce actor Varun Tej in a new avatar. The game’s parts grab attention, even if the narrative doesn’t break new ground. But the first half is so wonderfully written that the latter part feels like a breath of fresh air.

Events in 2004, involving boxers Vijayendra Sinha (Sunil Shetty) and Vikramaditya (Upendra), become the trigger for the story. Vikramaditya is maligned and his family bears the brunt. Mother (Nadia as Madhuri) makes her younger son Ghani (from child artist Ronit Kamra) jerseyPromise that he will never box again. It doesn’t take long to predict that Gani will grow up to be a boxer (Varun Tej).

The first hour rolls around aimlessly. Ghani is introduced through a sports stunt sequence to establish that he cannot stay away from boxing. He is inspired by the purpose of making his mother’s heart swell with pride and forget the past. Before he can do that, he has to come across a rich brat Adi (Naveen Chandra), who incidentally is also a boxer. Never mind if ultimately, compared to the other monsters Adi seems like a pale opponent that Gani has to take on.

The story also weaves in laughable romance. Reminiscent of the way some shots were taken in the University Corridor tholi prema (2018) But this romance is not half light. Maya’s (Sye Manjrekar) character is so weakly written and some of her lines unintentionally bring laughs in theatre. Her inexperience in sentimentality doesn’t help either. When he asked Ghani how he endured so much pain, someone in the hall said ‘pain reliever’. The laughter that followed till that time spilled over from boredom. Varun Tej also looked lost in these parts, as if wondering when he might make a comeback in the boxing ring.

The film gets into its groove after the intermission. The crucial reveal about Ghani’s father brings two people into the picture – boxer-turned-coach Vijayendra and Easwar (Jagapati Babu) who call the shots in the Indian Boxing League. The story of Ghani’s father gives the necessary emotional depth to the story. But it is difficult to understand why Madhuri never spoke openly with her son and shared everything she knew about her husband. It’s also hard to believe that in this age of traditional and social media headlines, Ghani managed to hide his boxing until the state championships.

The training session between Ghani and Vijayendra works out well and reveals why the player needs to focus and not get into emotional outbursts over excitement. The betting racket brings the spice. Cinematography by George C Williams sets the mood in the boxing ring with Thaman’s “Takeover Gunny” score. However, there are no surprises as the story progresses and you can get a sense of how each character will behave. Take for example the character of Jagapathi Babu. He has done such roles so many times in the past that he gets bored.

Varun Tej flaunts a chiseled physique and looks agile enough to play the role of a sportsman. He displays the necessary aggression while still managing to maintain the innocence of a budding player. Suniel Shetty, Upendra, Nadia and Naveen Chandra do justice to the part assigned to them.

Despite all the sporting action, the discussion of the film is heavy. At one point, when a character smiles at another for being a better talker than one player, he laughs.

(Ghani is currently playing in cinemas)