Vijay 69 REVIEW: Anupam Kher, Chunky Panday & co remind you to never give up in this heartwarming slice of life film

Film:
Vijay 69

Director: Akshay Roy

Writer: Akshay Roy, Abbas Tyrewala

Cast: Anupam Kher, Chunky Panday, Mihir Ahuja

Platform: On Netflix

Runtime: 112 minutes (1 hour, 52 minutes)

Vijay 69 Review

Akshay Roy directed Vijay 69 is a sweet narration that reminds you of films like Shoojit Sircar’s Piku starring Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone and Umesh Shukla’s 102 Not Out with Amitabh and Rishi Kapoor. This YRF-Netflix film – starring Anupam Kher, Chunky Panday, Mihir Ahuja and others, tells the story of 69-year-old Vijay Mathew (Kher) who – upon realizing he hasn’t accomplished anything outstanding, decides to participate in a triathlon and make history by becoming the oldest Indian to complete it.

The 2-hour-long film highlights Vijay’s determination to achieve his goal with the help of his friends Fali (Chunky Panday), Mrs Bakshi (Guddi Maruti) as well as his neighbour Aditya (Mihir Ahuja) – who is also participating in the triathlon to become the youngest Indian to complete it, and a couple more well-wishers. With Vijay facing opposition in fulfilling his dream from both his family and a father-son duo from his society, will he achieve his goals? Will Vijay achieve something important in life? To know these answers – and embark on an emotional journey, you need to watch Vijay 69 on Netflix; and here’s our honest review of it.

What Works

The acting, the bond between Vijay and Aditya, and the motivation of year-old friends.

What Doesn’t Work

Given that it’s a feel-good film, the narrative is a bit predictable and we all have an inclination of what is going to happen.

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Technical Analysis

Story

Written by Akshay Roy with additional dialogues by Abbas Tyrewala, Vijay 69 is a quirky slice-of-life film that begins with Vijay’s (Anupam Kher) funeral being celebrated in a church. Here, we see Fali (Chunky Pandey) struggle to list the accomplishments of Vijay – who once won a bronze medal at the national level swimming meet during his younger days and cheats at rummy. On arriving at his funeral and realising that he hasn’t done anything substantial in life – after giving up on swimming as a career after his wife’s cancer diagnosis, he decides to make history so that can be read when he dies for real.

The narrative – despite being predictable as we know the flow of such heartfelt and slice-of-life films, touches the hearts of the viewers with it emotional quotient. However, at times the melodrama seems a bit extra and tends to overpower the incredible acting of all cast members.

Direction

Akshay Roy deserves a round of applause for capturing the raw emotions of all the characters. Be it Vijay’s determination to make an India record, or his heartbreak when the committee rejects his triathlon application or even the hardships he faces to get in shape to run, swim and cycle, Roy has managed to do justice and make the audience feel what Kher feels – despite the actor using prosthetics for the nearly 95% of the film. He has also managed to capture the friendships the elderly share and the pressure the youngsters have to endure given the society we live in.

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Star Performances

Anupam Kher shines bring in shedding light on the problems people face post their retirement, especially when they are determined to fulfil unusual goals. Despite wearing a prosthetic for 95% of the time he’s on screen,

Chunky Panday as Vijay’s Parsi best friend is a treat to watch. Be it his mannerisms, body language or accent, Chunky does his best to make you believe his ethnicity. However, there are moments when the accent slips and it is easily noticeable.

Conclusion

Vijay 69 is a sweet, heartwarming story that proves age is just a number when it comes to having dreams and doing your all to fulfil them. Anupam Kher beautifully motivate all to pursue their wishes even when faced with objections from those closest to you.

Check out the trailer of Vijay 69 here:

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