A redeeming factor for 'Cup' is its supporting characters, may it be Nidhin's friends or his family, everyone has a role to play.
'Cup' also has Basil Joseph in a key role. (Supplied)
Like every other sports drama, Cup is also the tale of a underdog, who makes it big at a sports event.
However, what sets this Malayalam film aside from others are two things: Cup neither glorifies the hardships faced by the teenage protagonist nor is a typical biopic.
The movie is mainly an emotional drama and moves in a format that is set for a light-hearted watch.
Without briefing much, let’s see how the movie fared.
Cup is set in Vellathooval, a small village in the hilly district of Idukki. Nidhin Babu, played by Mathew Thomas, is a teenager passionate about Badminton. His aims to win the District Badminton Cup and the journey to achieve this forms the crux of the movie.
Another storyline is of Nidhin Babu’s relationship with his girlfriend Anna, played by Riya Shibu, who is also a badminton player.
Mathew Thomas plays male lead in ‘Cup’. (Supplied)
Debutant director Sanju V Samuel crafted the movie to include all the melodramatic elements witnessed in a village.
Despite the cliche elements throughout the movie, Nidhin Babu’s relationship with his friends, and how they maintain a warm relationship are some of the interesting aspects of Cup.
Following the prototype of a sportsman, Nidhin also has his share of failures in the sport, however what makes the plotline cliched is the presence of a negative character, who plays a spoilsport in the life of Nidhin, who in turn works against odds to win the race.
Cup also has its moments with the female lead acting as a support system to the protagonist, boosting his confidence, and helping him concentrate on the game.
A redeeming factor for the movie is its supporting characters, may it be Nidhin’s friends or his family, everyone has a role to play.
One of the major plot points is Nidhin’s fight with his father, played by Guru Somasundaram. Due to the fight and other circumstances, Nidhin is unable to give his best for the game, will he recoup? will he win the game? To find these answers one must watch the film.
Watching Cup just a week after watching the Tamil movie Lubber Pandhu, also a sports drama based on cricket was a letdown.
Namitha Pramod plays an important role in ‘Cup’. (Supplied)
While Cup focuses mainly on the emotional aspects of the characters and the usual pattern conceived by the filmmakers, Lubber Pandhu defies the sports drama stereotype.
Having said that, Cup isn’t a bad movie and surely has its moments. The portrayal of the coach played by Namitha Pramod and the performance of Mathew Thomas are the highlights of Cup.
Cup also doesn’t have the dramatic winning moments of the lead character, which at times can be repetitive and headache-inducing for the viewers. With the crew being mostly youngsters, they tried to make Cup as realistic as possible. However, the movie would have benefited from some innovative ideas and storytelling.
The songs composed by Shan Rahman also add to the viewing experience of the movie.
‘Cup’ is directed by Sanju V Samuel. (Supplied)
Mathew Thomas as Nidhin did a good job of portraying the emotions and body language of a badminton player in this sports drama.
Riya Shibu as Anna too gave a commendable performance within the limitations of her character.
Basil Josephas Reneesh, a brother-like figure for Nidhin was a welcome shift from his usual comedy roles.
Namitha Pramod who plays the role of badminton coach is surely a different one for the actress who is well known for charming roles.
Guru Somasundaram as the father of Nidhin also had a decent role and their relationship forms an important aspect of Cup.
Cup is a light-hearted sports drama that mainly focuses on the emotional aspects of the lead characters. The performances of the actors are the major highlight of this movie.
(Views expressed here are personal.)
(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula)
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