Kaun Pravin Tambe movie review: Shreyas Talpade’s sports biopic is full of heart and grit

Jayprad Desai’s Hindi film Kaun Pravin Tambe, streaming on Disney+ Hotstar, is a lot like its protagonist, the real-life cricketer Pravin Tambe (Shreyas Talpade) who made his major league debut at the age of 41 without any first-class or international experience under his belt. Pravin Tambe’s story is one of patience, perseverance and resilience, a lesson for all underachievers to keep doing what they do best until the day tables turn in their favour. (Also read: Shreyas Talpade: ‘Had it not been for Pravin Tambe, I would have been asked to play a coach, not a cricketer‘)

As a cricketer and also human being, Tambe comes across as an unassuming person – but with a lot of heart. Desai’s film, too, perhaps won’t be counted among the best sports biopics ever, but this underdog story has a sweetness and grit that mirrors the qualities of its lead character.

Pravin Tambe’s first love is cricket, he tells the woman he is going to marry when they first meet. Indeed, Pravin eats, sleeps and breathes cricket, perplexing and annoying those around him because no one’s quite sure if he is talented enough to reach his goals of being selected for a Ranji trophy squad.

In fact, Tambe never played for the Ranji trophy, the premier first-class cricket trophy in India, until he played for the Indian Premiere League in 2013, which was his first brush with international cricket. Tambe had been playing local tournaments for years and on one lucky day, his bowling at a T20 match got spotted by the selectors and he got a surprise call for the IPL. The rest is history.

There’s lot of learn from Pravin’s life. While, on the one hand, his monomania about his cricketing goals eventually bore fruit, on the other, this very nature perhaps delayed his rise in cricket. Pravin starts off being a medium pace bowler. He is moderately successful but that’s not good enough, his coach (Ashish Vidyarthi) decides. Pravin’s coach advises him to try bowling spin because he’s spotted how strong Pravin’s wrists and grip are.

But Pravin doesn’t listen to the advice thinking that his coach feels he is not a good enough cricketer. Pravin relents only when he has injured his leg and has to bowl a crucial over in a match. At least, that’s what the story of Pravin’s switch from pace to spin bowling late in his career is, according to the biopic.

Some of the interesting aspects of the film include the life and culture of cricketers who never make it to the big leagues but somehow continue to play cricket thanks to private companies who hire them for their cricketing teams. These mundane jobs provide cricketers with a steady income and an opportunity to use their skills on the field. Pravin thrives because of his talent and the kindness of those who encounter him. The home life of Pravin and his wife (Anjali Patil) is also lovingly sketched but these portions could have been cut short to make the film crisper.

Among the hurdles Pravin faces are financial woes, the cold shoulder of selectors despite agreeing that he is talented, and the anxiety of becoming older and not finding success. Parambrata Chatterjee plays Rajat a sports journalist who doesn’t think much of Pravin’s talent; he appears to be a bit strangely committed to not appreciating Pravin even when he is performing quite well. Perhaps, Chatterjee’s role fulfils the need for some sort of a villain.

Talpade made his Bollywood debut 17 years ago in Nagesh Kukunoor’s Iqbal, in which he played a deaf and mute pace bowler. That film, too had Talpade battling all odds and eventually fulfilling his dreams on the cricket grounds. Talpade’s acting career comes full circle with Kaun Pravin Tambe? He throws himself into Pravin’s role with a lot of heart, passion and a wide-eyed innocence that is befitting of the man he is playing.

Kaun Pravin Tambe?
Director: Jayprad Desai
Cast: Shreyas Talpade, Parambrata Chatterjee, Ashish Vidyarthi, Anjali Patil and others