Clap movie review: Aadhi Pinisetty, Krisha Kurup excel in this focused, well-made sports drama

3/5

Story:

Vishnu, right from his childhood, is groomed to be an athlete. Just when the youngster looks set to prove his mettle on the bigger stage, he loses his leg and worse, also his father in a tragic road accident. Despite the personal tragedy, his love interest Mithra expresses her desire to marry him and the two tie the knot despite his inhibitions. Vishnu settles into a mundane job and is yet to move past the incident that destroyed his career. When he encounters a young girl Bagyalakshmi, a budding athlete from Khammam whose sportive interests are not encouraged by her near and dear, he takes her under his wings and fulfils his long-cherished dream through her eyes.

Review:

If Jersey was a sports film that made us believe in the power of second chances and the importance of never losing hope in oneself, Aadhi Pinisetty's latest sports drama Clap tells you can accomplish your dreams even without putting yourself in the spotlight. Clap, marking the directorial debut of Prithivi Adithya, is a fine sports drama, clear with its intent and sets out to achieve what it aspires to sans any ado. The film is much beyond the tale of a small-town girl accomplishing her aims on the bigger stage and is also the story of an athlete-turned-coach, who regains his purpose in life after a series of professional/personal setbacks.

The director doesn't waste much time in establishing that there's no ray of hope for Vishnu in athletics after losing his leg in an accident. The drama takes us through his insecurities, frustration while he passionlessly goes about his government job and how this toxicity invariably affects his relationship with his wife Mithra. When Vishnu spots Bagyalakshmi, a budding athlete, an underdog in need of support, he's quite selfless about standing by her side at every step. Bagyalakshmi in fact reminds Vishnu of his former self and the latter lends her all the support she desires, professionally and psychologically.

There's no scope for unnecessary heroics, exaggeration and bravado in Clap and the precision in the storytelling is an asset to the proceedings. The filmmaker keeps the dialogue to a bare minimum and allows the drama to do the talking. Even with the drama, there's a lightness in the treatment and no scene is blown up beyond necessity. Say, even with the uncomfortable silence between Vishnu and his wife Mithra, there's always an element of mystery in the relationship and the director trusts the viewer to connect the dots (and not spoonfeed the same). The predictable backstory of Vishnu is also only narrated in parts and it doesn't distract the viewer from the main plot surrounding Bagyalakshmi. 

The conflict in the film is kept basic - it's about the personal rivalry coming in the way of the profession. The supposed antagonist in the film L Venkatram wants to destroy Vishnu's career because of the humiliation he and his son faced in his hands. At every step, Venkatram tries to halt Vishnu's progress. This is where the intent of the film comes through too - when one door closes, another door opens. The positioning of a selector as an antagonist is a tad too convenient in a sports drama though it's a relief to see what Nasser does to the role, especially in underplaying the villainy.

Another aspect that the team could've done better is the sequence where Vishnu convinces Bagyalakshmi to leave her hometown and come along with him. Bagyalakshmi trusts a stranger in less than a few minutes and the two don't take any time to break the ice either. Even when Vishnu identifies a talent like Bagyalakshmi, he becomes a do-gooder instantly and one wished the director took more time to establish his decision. In the quest for keeping the scenes crisp and to the point, the emotional connect feels compromised at places. On other occasions, the compactness of Clap is its strength. Every character has a well-defined purpose.

It's heartening to see Aadhi Pinisetty submit himself to the role with such sincerity and earnestness. At no point, does he divert the attention from the story and still wins your heart with his dignified, composed screen presence. Krisha Kurup may not speak much in the film but conveys a lot through her body language, little gestures. Aakanksha Singh as Mithra, a sportswoman who genuinely empathises with her husband's trauma and never overly expresses her care, approaches her part with an assurance. Brahmaji, Munishkanth make the most of their limited screentime. Prakash Raj's screen presence is minimal though utilised effectively.

Ilaiyaraaja's songs and music score, excepting the not-so-memorable first number, furthers the narrative seamlessly. Clap is a rare bilingual where the makers have genuinely respected the audiences of both the languages and the near-perfect lip sync is a relief to watch. The real surprise package with Clap is however its filmmaker. Prithivi shows terrific maturity in dealing with emotions sensibly and knowing what's needed for the story. He extracts fine performances from his cast.

Verdict:

Clap is everything you expect from a well-made sports drama - fine performances, engaging drama and neat execution. While also remaining in the mainstream zone, there's a personalised touch to debutant Prithivi's storytelling. Aadhi, Krisha Kurup, Nasser and Aakanksha Singh live up to their potential. An engaging, sensible watch on OTT!