Tennis Buddies

STORY: Ayushi Singh (Dakshata Patel) is an aspiring tennis player who’s overtly ambitious yet cynical father (Ranvir Shorey) poses as hurdle on her way to becoming a tennis sensation. And, all hell breaks loose when her father learns that she is playing club tournament – something, he believes, is going to jeopardise her career.

REVIEW: Dealing with his own failure as a tennis enthusiast and imposing his long buried hopes and aspirations onto his daughter, Ranvir Shorey’s character resonates with those who live under the traumatising called tiger parenting. His helpless and submissive wife (Divya Dutta) tries to give their teenage daughter the much-needed space and freedom to choose her own path. But, just like most other patriarchal societies, will it be possible for Ayushi to break free from his shackles and make a mark in the field her father has so miserably failed in is what forms the crux of the story.

Ranvir Shorey’s portrayal of a stern Faridabad based, venom-spitting father is apt to the T, and rendering some equally moving scenes and sequences is the very docile Anushka Singh (Divya Dutta). However, the central character – played by young Dakshata Patel – is a downer. Sure she knows the tricks of the trade, but only in terms of the technicalities pertaining to tennis and not the craft of acting. The smaller actors add to the agony of bad theatrics and so does the shoddy cinematography, coupled with some pretty bland background score.

There is not even an iota of doubt that the movie is made with a noble intent, but the execution could have been better on some many levels. Also, as inspiring as it sounds, ‘Tennis Buddies’ is not an exceptional tale of personal achievement against societal odds; painfully typical and cliché.