There is a beautiful focus on interpersonal relationships as much as there is a celebration of cricket in Lubber Pandhu. Gethu’s iconic Dravid-esque defence and Sachin-inspired poses are aplenty on screen. Ashwin’s famous Mankad moment too find their way into the screenplay and are not just mere cricket references but are built to establish a rivalry. Each character in Lubber Pandhu is unique and well-written. The angry, emotional Yashoda (a brilliant Swaswika) packs a special dish for her husband Gethu every day, but when he plays cricket unbeknownst to her, she doesn’t hesitate to plough the cricket field with her tractor. Equally rough and loving is her daughter Durga (Sanjana Krishnamoorthy).
When Durga leaves her lover Anbu after a fight, Anbu apologises and says he probably thought she would never leave him and that’s why he acted wildly. The same could be said about how Gethu goes about playing cricket even as his wife disapproves of it. But there is a simplicity that ties them all, they all are behind what they love. And if one dialogue could convey the similarities they all share it is how Karupaiya (Kaali Venkat) responds when he is asked why he likes cricket – “pudikum, adhaan reason.”
There is no dearth of humour or meta-film references either. Gethu could play for the team called Sachin Boys but he’s also a huge fan of Vijayakanth. Once, Durga tells Anbu that she likes him because he is too similar to her dad. If you look closely, besides their burning passion for cricket, Anbu and Gethu are mirror images. For instance, if Anbu paints his home in yellow hues to show his love for CSK, the wall in Gethu’s home has a mural of Vijayakanth. Such little references make Lubber Pandhu a soulful tale. It is a film where small things like a simple hello, a tiffin box, a song, etc go on to have a bigger effect on the characters.
The film opens with Anbu not being allowed to play in his village’s team because he is from a different caste. But Lubber Pandhu doesn’t go all out like Blue Star. Caste issues and conflicts between the characters are addressed in a gentle, subtle manner. You might be expecting a bigger resolution but it would end in a simple handshake or a big payoff moment you didn’t see coming could be just a father and daughter playing cricket together. Sometimes, Lubber Pandhu doesn’t give us a complete answer and it doesn’t have to.
The film shows every relationship delicately but the most endearing of such moments must be the one where a woman finds a caring mother in her daughter-in-law. Teeming with nail-biting cricket moments, soulful dialogues and some stunning, meaningful frames (watch out for the interval sequence), it is a beautiful film that keeps on giving on all fronts. In essence, Lubber Bandhu offers the thrill of a super-over sleekly packed within a soothing, slow-burning test match.
Rating – 4/5
