- Date of Release: 14 April 2021
- Genre: Drama, Sports
- Language: Malayalam
- Watch On: Amazon Prime Video
Kho Kho
RATING
Introduction
One of my distinct memories of my school days was when we had a free period and the entire class got together to play a game of kho kho, a game which requires nimbleness backed by stamina and alertlness. And with nothing major releasing this weekend due to The Family Man wave, I got the opportunity to watch some of the smaller content from the week. And I have just finished watching the Malayalam film Kho Kho on Amazon Prime. The Malayalam Film Industry are one of the pioneers of good cinema and when I heard that they are making a sports film, I was intrigued. The sports genre has a very limited template and so it becomes tricky. Well then does Kho Kho manage to score, stay tuned.
Story & Screenplay
Kho Kho follows the story of a newly appointed PT teacher who encourages her students to represent their school in the game of Kho Kho. Well no surprises, if I leave the Kho Kho part alone, the story isn’t very novel and it is also a tad cliched. But the screenplay has enough elements to keep you invested. One of the high points of the drama is its emotional thread which is different from the usual sports dramas that you will witness. This sets it apart from the other films of the genre. The parts involving Kho Kho are enjoyable but predictable. You are aware of where the drama is headed after a set of obstacles. So again nothing that will catch you by surprise but enjoyable nevertheless culminating into an emotional finale that is good to watch.
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues are adequate and something that you generally expect from a sports film. The Music and BGM are quite good and they definitely do their bit to elevate the drama. Director Rahul Riji Nair has done a good job with the direction. He was able to extract a little juice from the routine drama which is creditable.
Performances
The performances are the highlight here. Venkitesh as Maria’s husband impresses in a cameo. Renjit Shekar Nair as Shivaprasad is such a heartening character and he does full justice to it. From the girls, it is Mamitha Baiju as Anju who is outstanding and instantly manages to impress. I had earlier watched her in Operation Java and she had shown glimpses of brilliance there too. Here in a much meatier role, she literally owns it. Rajisha Vijayan as Maria is the star of the show. She is totally convincing as the coach and she also displays a human side to her which is refreshing to watch. I wish to watch more of her in the future too.
Conclusion
Kho Kho is a compelling sports drama backed by solid performances. Available on Amazon Prime.