Track Malayalam Movie

If only its characters weren't such stereotypes, 'Track' would have made some interesting viewing. At the moment though, its way off-track. Apr 6, 2012 By Veeyen

'Track' is all about a penniless athlete Jo Zacharia (Rahul Madhav) who is almost forced to quit the track on account of being poor. Mukundan (Anoop Menon), a millionaire who had once seen his dreams crushed into the dust in a similar fashion, arrives to his rescue, and Jo gets an admission into a prestigious college under the sports quota, and soon gets practicing for the National Games.

The plot in 'Track' is so flimsy that it's almost invisible. The entire film that has a running time of about two hours tells a story that could very well be narrated in a matter of five minutes. And again, there is nothing spectacular about this tale that demands a depiction of it on the big screen.

There is of course this message issued in public interest by the makers against the use of drugs and energy enhancing stimulants in the field of sports, but that's probably best explained through a three minute ad that could perhaps even be better executed!

The script of the film is absolutely banal at times, and the characters are mostly stick figures. There is such a carelessness when it comes to the portrayal of some of the minor characters even, that it's downright funny. Like for instance, there is this Malayalam teacher who is seen teaching a Malayalam poem that glorifies the beauty of Malayalam in class. And almost immediately, she asked a few students to "Please stand up!" All I could think of when I saw the Malayalam teacher blurting out English in profusion was that it must have been deliberate and the intention must be satirical.

Thus 'Track' never fleshes any of its characters out beyond the bare minimalism that they demand. The execution is nothing spectacular either. The predictability is something that works against it as each moment passes by, and at the end of it all, it almost feels antiquated, if not anything else!

I guess it wouldn't be too much if we hope at least for a light enough touch to make the proceedings pleasant, if not quite pleasurable. The film takes some time to start off, and for Jo Zacharia to grow up, and once he's grown, goes down the spiral in such swiftness that you wonder how it all ended up being a film!

Rahul Madhav is aptly cast as the athlete with dreams of gold, and he does a decent job of playing Jo, except on an odd occasion or two when he goes over board. Anoop Menon, when he is seen in films as these, always displays a reticent calm on his performance, and it's the same here as well.

If only its characters weren't such stereotypes, 'Track' would have made some interesting viewing. At the moment though, its way off-track.