Saala Khadoos: Predictable yet good

REFERENCES APART TO films such as Chak De India and Mary Kom that the coach-rookie story of Saala Khadoos may evoke, here is a film that is praiseworthy on two counts: One, a woman director helming a movie about boxing and going about it with great discipline and clarity; and two, knock-out performances from its lead cast that put many an established actor to shame.
Just look at Ritika Singh, a debutante taking on the role of a boxing prodigy with absolute ease. While the lack of camera experience occasionally handicaps her, the youngster, a real life mixed martial artist, effortlessly dons the role of Madhi, the feisty, temperamental 'fish monger' who turns boxing champ. So too does Mumtaz Sorcar, as Lakshmi, her sister, in a rather under-written role.
Saala Khadoos also derives its gritty raw energy also from R. Madhavan who transforms from the world of romance to rebellious anger effortlessly. As coach Adi, who has been deprived of glory and recognition thanks to the machinations of Dev (Zakir Hussain), the head coach of the Indian boxing team, Madhavan is flawlessly consistent. He also gets a Kamal Haasan-like Sadma moment, and he comes out of that challenge with flying colours.

Tautly edited and tightly scripted, Saala Khadoos falls short of the 'next big thing' in cinema because of the plot's inherent predictability. There is only so much to say in a tale where a failed boxer turns mentor and takes his protégé to true recognition.
Here, the protégé happens to be from an underprivileged community and from a different milieu. That is where the film takes its first dip. Ritika Singh and Mumtaz Sorcar do not belong to the milieu they have been assigned; they stand apart.
And for the two ordinary girls from a very underprivileged section of the society to effortlessly speak Hindi - well, even if you use the 'liberty of fiction' clause and the 'convenience factor' angle - undermines the film's soul.
Saala Khadoos also tends to harp a trifle too long on the insinuation that when it comes to boxing, women can shine and get a platform they deserve, only if they give in to the unholy advances of head coaches. In fact, that seems to be the predominant narrative. Dev is shown as a quintessential skirt-chaser with no second thought on talent.
The ups and downs of Madhi's life are, however, cleverly portrayed; the film never stoops to melodrama and there is an inherent wit and humaneness that can come only by observing people that shines through in the script.
The film scores in its climax - redeeming for all the minuses; while it is another story of underdog triumph, the manner in which the final bout is portrayed is far ahead in its intelligence and portrayal than a similar sequence we saw last year in Akshay Kumar's Brothers.
Like Airlift last week, Saala Khadoos also has a pan-Indian sensibility, and it is admirable to see Bollywood breaking out of its confines.
Saala Khadoos, we feel, could have been a lot more, but given its primary plot-line, it accomplishes its own character and does not become another of those 'sports movies' that celebrate stardom rather than content.
A good one-time watch if you like feel good films that are not in-your-face.