Starring: Sanjay Suri, Milind Soman, Sandhya Mridul, Aditya Seal, Mandhar Subhash, Prateek Jain, Anuj Pandit, Madhur Mittal, Manoj Pahwa, Sachin Khedekar, Vinay Pathak and Shraddha Nigam
Director: Subhash Kapoor
If there was ever a movie that suffered due to the lack of big names then Say Salaam India should be on the very top of this list.
The film is not just about cricket like the promos may portray. Nor is it about he love and passion people have for the sport. Say Salaam India is a story about unspoken heroes, those that are unknown to the world. Most importantly, it talks about these heroes finally getting their due, respect and dignity in a society that is ruled by money, name and fame.
Hari Sadu (Sanjay Suri) is a cricket enthusiast, not to mention a genius. His working style may be out of the ordinary, but he’s surely the most knowledgeable on the subject of cricket.
Royal Heritage College isa high-class college home to heirs of some of the biggest names in India. In serious need of a new coach, they hire Hari Sadu to coach their 5-time winning cricket team, hoping that he will lead them to their 6th win.
Hari’s controversial teaching style and the refusal to treat children like so make him a non-favourite amongst the students and their wealthy parents. After a few days of tackling life in this egoistic team, hari is finally dismissed from the job, a dismissal which he gladly accepts.
To prove to the world that true cricket players aren’t in the lavish million dollar stadiums but in small backyard pitches, Hari decides to coach a league of extremely talented boys. Like Hari, they too are crazy about cricket. However, due to their low-class status, they have been deprived of the opportunities that can lead them to becoming successful in this field.
How Hari teaches the rich children an important lesson about life and how he brings an opportunity to average middle-class boys forms the story of Say Salaam India.
In the last few months, Indian cinema seems to have lacked decent screenplays and Say Salaam India provides the much-needed relief to this trend.
Sanjay Suri proves yet again that he is an outstanding performer. It is truly painful to see such talent go unnoticed. THe big banners tend to go for the big names, and in this rush, artistes like Sanjay suffer. If given the opportunity, this man can prove that he is amongst the best in India. Say Salaam India truly rests on his shoulders and he carries it off confidently, and undoubtedly succeeds.
Milind Soman impresses post-interval. His look is one of many questions. Perhaps as the high-class coach of a rich school, his look should have been more stylish and sleek. Sandhya Mridul doesn’t get much scope, but is likeable when she’s there.
The young team of middle-class teenage boys impress with their range of emotions throughout the movie. They do well in dramatic as well as comedy scenes. They are truly a talented bunch of teens.
On the whole, Say Salaam India is recommended for all those true cinegoers–those who respect and value cinema for its depth and sincerity to a worthy script and not towards a big name or banner.
For those who value a good movie and enjoy watching a truly amazing cinematic journey, Say Salaam India is a must see!
