What Is the Story About?
Vishnu (Aadhi Pinnisetty) is a champion athlete who loses one of his legs and his father in an accident. His girlfriend (Aakanksha Singh) still marries him but he fights with a complex within himself and stops talking to everyone. But he finds a spark in a girl of Khammam who was about to quit running and trains her against all odds to make her win.
Performances?
Clap has got good casting. There are known faces for all the characters and everyone does their part well. Aadhi Pinnisetty should be appreciated for attempting a character that is serious throughout the film. Not many heroes will attempt such characters. He is seen as an athlete who is battling a complex of losing his leg and his father. He does it neatly.
Akanksha Singh plays his female lead and gets a small role. She is decent enough. Krisha Kurup plays the important role of a talented athlete who hails from a village. She fits the role of an innocent village girl perfectly. Her makeup was natural and she performed well.
Mundasupatti Ramdoss who plays the hero’s sidekick is good. Nassar is excellent in a negative character. Some of the mean expressions he keeps showcase his experience and add value to the proceedings. Brahmaji is okay in a small role. The rest of the characters are fine.
Analysis
Clap has got a familiar story. Sports Dramas in Indian Cinema is more about the different sports with underdogs placing different problems. Here we have athletics and a former player who had to go for amputation of his leg but continuously battles the complex of it.
Aadhi feeling the pain of a non-existing leg is the novel factor of this story. However, the familiar story is not the problem with Clap. Even in such films, the director could connect the audience with good emotions and gripping sports problems. But clap could not do that. For every scene, we feel that the story is routine and can easily predict what is coming.
The first half of the film is boring. We have a hero who is suffering inside and there is no movement whatsoever in the story. The director enters into the actual business only when the hero goes to the village to meet the girl. The subsequent rejections by coaches and his decision to become the coach himself form the pre-interval and interval sequences which are relatively okay.
The second half of the film is comparatively better. Winning a race and the treachery that follows keep the audience interested. But then, the racing portions do not excite the audience as much as they should. We also find the ‘politics’ portions very predictable.
Naturally, in underdog stories, the audience should connect to the pain and also get immersed in the journey to victory. But that does not happen. For that reason, we find the film lengthy even though it is just around 130 minutes. There are a couple of moments towards the end which moves a bit. But they are not of changing the experience.
Finally, Clap has a familiar but honest subject. It is backed by some good performances but the story lacks the depth and emotional connection for a sports drama to work.
Music and Other Departments?
Prithvi Adithya has directed Clap. The story is too plain and predictable as said earlier. A tight narration with some highs should have done the trick. Maestro Ilaiyaraja has composed music for the film. There are a couple of songs that come in the background and they are alright. Probably, there is too much of underplay in the background score department. The cinematography and editing are okay. The production values are to the tune of what we expect from a film of this scale.
Highlights?
Casting
Intention
Some portions of the second half
Drawbacks?
Familiar Story
Predictability
Lack of emotional connection
Did I Enjoy It?
Partly
Will You Recommend It?
Yes but with lots of reservations
Clap Movie Review by Binged Bureau
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