If I were to ask you, which are the iconic sports dramas produced in our country, a few names that would pop up are Lagaan and Chak De India. What makes these movies iconic is striking a chord with the audiences and involving them in the drama. And so the audiences actually feel their pulse racing. So, I managed to watch the Gujarati flick, Gujarat 11 on Amazon Prime. Does it elevate the sports genre…..lets find out.

Gujarat 11 is the story of a female cop who is given the responsibility to coach a team of juveniles for a local football tournament. The story is not very different except the fact that it deals with the subject of juveniles(which by the way we have also watched in a Hollywood movie). The screenplay follows the same template of a sports drama. So a group of underdogs having differences amongst themselves form a team. And yes, there are no surprises ahead. What I wish the screenplay would have explored is the relationship that the female cop shares with the bunch of kids which is dealt with on the surface. Remember Chak De, what worked there was the the bond Kabir Khan had with the girls that eventually made you root for them. This lead to an enthralling finale, which again is missing here. The excitement in a sports film is utmost importance which is just not there. And it is here that the film falters. The dialogues are good. Music is good too. Director Jayant Gilatar has done a decent job though nothing much to shout about.

Pratik Gandhi in a sort of a cameo shines as Divya’s love interest. Amongst the juveniles it is Manav Soneji as Vicky and Avadh Mehta as Rangeelo who stand out. Kavin Dave as Panchal is earnest and delivers a good performance. But it is the performance of Daisy Shah as Divya that elevates the film. She has done a swell job.

Gujarat 11 is a decent sports film, if you go in with low expectations then you will enjoy it. A one time watch, Available on Amazon Prime.