Biker review: Sharwanand stars in a sports drama that struggles to balance motocross thrills with emotional storytelling
Biker review: The Telugu sports film Biker began with great anticipation because of its compelling storyline and stellar cast, which includes actors such as Sharwanand, Dr Rajasekhar, and Malvika Nair. Given that Biker was supposed to be the first film on motocross racing in India, much was expected from it. Nevertheless, although there are moments when it shines, the film is bogged down by unnecessary dramatic turns.
Biker is a film that revolves around the life story of Vikas Narayan, alias Vicky (played by Sharwanand). Vicky is a talented rider by nature. His father, Sunil Narayan, also known as Bullet Sunil (played by Dr Rajasekhar), was a famous racing motorcyclist in his day who unfortunately did not receive the acclaim he deserved because motorsport was a less developed genre at that time in India.
Vicky’s journey in the world of racing is fast-paced and driven by ambitious zeal. This young racer gets his lucky break in the form of sponsorship from Timmy (played by Atul Kulkarni), which enables him to enter the international racing arena. The plot takes an abrupt turn after that as now we see Vicky leading a completely new and altered life. This family man has turned into the owner of a small scale racing circuit, operated alongside his wife, Andrea (played by Malvika Nair), and their kid.
The main point of controversy here is the reason why Vicky gave up on the profession at his height. Also, what made him quarrel with his father? Though these issues make the core of the story, their resolution is fairly predictable and follows the well-known sports drama clichés.
The film Biker follows a pattern which is very much similar to films such as Jersey and Dangal. There are elements of imitation present in the film as well, where the emotions depicted feel cliché instead of innovative. In parts of the movie, there is even a feeling of a racing film similar to that of F1, especially during the motor-crossing scenes.
The first and foremost flaw in this movie is that it fails to maintain balance. It is a sports drama film, but not much of the sporting element is involved in this film at all. While the racing scenes are good, they are few in numbers. There is hardly any depiction of training sessions, and most of the time is spent by the lead character in non-sporting scenes.
There are only few scenes which catch attention and they include scenes with dramatic father-son clashes, and the love-passion conflict of Vicky. The climax race scene also makes the cut as an effective scene. But apart from these scenes, it seems to drag on.
In terms of performance, Sharwanand puts in a genuine effort. He makes an appealing racer and his swag during the races is evident. Malvika Nair is equally competent and her chemistry with Sharwanand provides a nice touch to the storyline. At times, their relationship is both likeable and irritating, reflecting a pattern seen in many sports romance stories.
But the one who steals the show is Dr Rajasekhar. He plays the part of a great athlete, who is now struggling with missed chances and broken dreams, quite convincingly. His relationship with his son emerges as the highlight of the movie and it does hold up quite well, although it could have been further exploited.
Technically speaking, Biker has a lot going for it. The camera work during the racing scenes is excellent as it captures the speed and thrill of motocross. But when it comes to editing, the movie fails miserably. Many sharp cuts during the races affect its overall quality, especially since the races are the major selling point of the film.
The music too falls short. Though some background scores in places work well, there aren’t any tunes that one remembers after watching the film.
Ultimately, ‘Biker’ is a film which had an interesting premise but fails to make the most of it. The film had all the makings of being an exciting sports film but fails miserably on account of its heavy melodrama and predictable storyline. For a movie based on Indian Motocross, the script was clearly in need of improvement.
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