Director Jadesh K Hampi & team, forefronted by Sharan, come up with an honest village drama centering around the sport Kho-Kho. Sharan plays Manohar K, a PT teacher who is also a former national level kho-kho player who suffered to make a career out of it due to the public's general ignorance at the sport. Living with his old teacher who also had adopted him. When he finally lands a job as a PT teacher at Bettadapura, a village devoid of any basic facilities, he tries to make it through by neglecting the sport kho-kho despite the kids there being interested in it. How circumstances lead to kho-kho being the decider for not just Manohar & kids but also the fate of the village itself forms the crux of the story.
The film's runtime is lengthy as the director dedicates entire first half to set the story up, filling it with comedy scenes one expects out of a Sharan movie. There is also a teenage love story dealt sensibly while the main heroine character is a token one which somehow manages to raise above routine treatment in the third act. What makes this movie stand apart is the sport & once the focus is shifted entirely onto it, the film turns out to be highly engaging.
Sure, the screenplay has it's blemishes & even the sport is used as the major tool to resolve a civil case but all of this is done to play to the gallery. The real victory lies in how well they have presented the sport itself with it's intricate detailing which even I wasn't aware of. It doesn't get preachy & Sharan willing to take the backseat to let the boys take over, chipping in with a subtle performance in the last two acts shows his growth as an actor.
Definitely recommended for it's honest attempt.