By Mythily Ramachandran
‘Captain’ is the story of a man
who loved football beyond himself- so intense was his love for the game, that
unheeding his coach’s advice, V.P. Satyan of Kerala Police continued playing in
a match despite an injured foot. And, dismissing the agony of his foot, Satyan brought
glory to Kerala with the Santosh Trophy- a cup that had been eluding the state
for the past nineteen years. Journalist turned director Prajesh Sen scores a
goal on his maiden attempt.
‘Captain’ is told in a non-linear
narration. Sen takes viewers back and forth
through Satyan’s life. Beginning with a match in 1999 in Kathmandu,
where Satyan missed a penalty shot, Sen brings
us back to Pallavaram station in Chennai where Satyan met his end on the
railway tracks. The outstanding football player who led India nine times became
a depressed man when unable to play football-his first love as he claimed
always to wife Anitha.
Satyan grew up in Kannur where he found his first love-he picked up a pair of discarded shoes to play football. An injury during his childhood days never healed, accompanying him through life. From a much feared key player in the local clubs, Satyan’s rise in the football arena is laid out.
Satyan grew up in Kannur where he found his first love-he picked up a pair of discarded shoes to play football. An injury during his childhood days never healed, accompanying him through life. From a much feared key player in the local clubs, Satyan’s rise in the football arena is laid out.
‘Captain’ is also the story of Anitha, Satyan’s wife. She never wanted to marry
a football player in the first place and disliked policemen too. After declining
his proposal initially, Anitha finds love in Satyan and the devoted wife quits
her engineering studies to support his passion for football.
Jayasurya throws himself completely into the role and in the gifted actor’s hands, Satyan is an ordinary man with his own weaknesses. Anu Sithara is pitch perfect, complementing Jayasurya’s performance. And you feel for the man who battled suicidal tendencies. More so for the widow and the daughter, who are left behind. Did football kill Satyan?
Mention must be made of the good performance by the supporting actors-Siddique as a crazy football lover and Satyan’s well-wisher; Renji Panicker as Satyan’s coach; Janardhanan as the Chief Minister whose encouragement went a long way for Satyan and Saiju Kurup as the arrogant senior police officer who humiliates Satyan.
Jayasurya throws himself completely into the role and in the gifted actor’s hands, Satyan is an ordinary man with his own weaknesses. Anu Sithara is pitch perfect, complementing Jayasurya’s performance. And you feel for the man who battled suicidal tendencies. More so for the widow and the daughter, who are left behind. Did football kill Satyan?
Mention must be made of the good performance by the supporting actors-Siddique as a crazy football lover and Satyan’s well-wisher; Renji Panicker as Satyan’s coach; Janardhanan as the Chief Minister whose encouragement went a long way for Satyan and Saiju Kurup as the arrogant senior police officer who humiliates Satyan.
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