Kacchey Limbu review: A confused film about confusion of life
Rating: 2 STARS
The phrase ‘Kacchey Limbu’ refers to a non-professional or the least talented member of a team who is only in the team because the squad couldn’t find anyone else at the last minute. This coming-of-age drama directed by Shubham Yogi attempts to put a new spin (pun intended) on this popular slang by implying that ‘Kacchey Limbu’ does not always refer to the least talented people. Probably, they have not been given the opportunity to show and prove their talent not only to society but also to themselves.
Aditi (Radhika Madan) and Akash (Rajat Barmecha) are siblings who find themselves on competing cricket teams as they attempt to balance familial devotion with the pursuit of their ambitions. On paper it’s actually quite a fascinating story about finding yourself but as you move halfway to the film length, you begin to realize that this coming of age drama about the confusion of life is also equally confused about what it actually wants to convey.
The film opens by introducing us to a typical middle-class family consisting of parents and two children. The girl Aditi (Radhika Madan) who is the protagonist of the film is confused about what exactly she wants to achieve and what she wants from her life. She attends Bharatnatyam dance classes at the behest of her mother, at the same time she is also trying to become a fashion designer along with her friends and if this is not enough she is also preparing for her medical entrance exam. On the other hand, 26 year old Akash has already lost the chance to play at the Lords but is now happy playing gully- cricket.
Their father wants Akash to work in an office, but he is not yet ready. A minor disagreement leads to Akash challenging Aditi to an underarm cricket tournament, and thus Aditi’s struggle begins. First and foremost, she must assemble her own squad. Aditi puts together a motley team to compete in the next cricket tournament after overcoming a number of challenges.
However, the entire process of forming a team and then competing in the underarm cricket event follows a tried and tested format. It not only follows the same old template, but it is also tedious and perplexing. At times, it feels like you’re watching a lighthearted coming-of-age movie about a girl discovering her actual identity, then the next scene feels like you’re witnessing a middle-class family drama about sibling rivalry and then very next scene you are watching a sports drama. It’s not that the makers shouldn’t have tried; it’s simply that the makers fail to seamlessly blend the various themes, leaving you puzzled about what they actually wanted to show.
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It is said that the scene that truly sets the stage for the rest of the tale to take place is crucial to keeping you captivated for the duration of the film. But in this case, the scene itself perplexed me. Because I’m still baffled as to why Akash challenged her sister to a cricket match in the first place. He simply drops it out of nowhere, and Aditi accepts it, which makes no sense. We all (at least those who have siblings) know how we might challenge our siblings for completely ridiculous reasons, but instead of dropping it out of nowhere, you should cultivate some seeds regarding this beforehand.
Even Akash’s character appears to be a synthesis of personalities we’ve seen in previous coming-of-age films and shows. His character arc simply does not make sense. In reality, no one’s character development makes any sense in this picture. It’s now high time for filmmakers to abandon the myth that showing the basic struggle of a middle class family automatically makes it a good film.
Another thing that irritates me about this film is how the entire underarm cricket event and practice sessions were shot and portrayed. It was critical that the film’s writer and director, Shubham Yogi, put some effort into making it look realistic because almost everyone watching this film knows and has played gully cricket, making it difficult to fool the audience here, which is exactly what you feel while watching the entire tournament. It doesn’t have the thrill of a real sport, nor is it fascinating enough to overlook the basic lack of rationality.
There are a number of things in this cricket competition that don’t make sense, such as a batsman hitting the 4 and 6 flag at will. Anyone who has played gully cricket knows that it is extremely tough to do even once, let alone often. That whole thing takes your interest away from the ongoing tournament. To be honest, Gokuldham Premier League was a lot more engaging than this tournament because, while lacking the thrill of an actual sport, it was at least entertaining. But sadly, this ‘Kacchey Limbu’ lacks both things.
In terms of performance both Radhika Madan and Rajat Barmecha, both have tried their best to make their characters relatable and they do succeed to an extent. But as mentioned above, their characters come across as superficial versions of those middle class girls and boys struggling to find their true identity and hence despite their best efforts, it just doesn’t make you feel too much about them. These kind of characters only succeeds if we are invested in their trajectory and ultimate fate, and I never was.
‘Kacchey Limbu’ is streaming on JioCinema for free.
