A
young
boy,
who
is
a
passionate
cricketer,
frequents
a
sports
shop
in
his
neighborhood
so
many
times
that
he
knows
the
price
of
every
bat
stacked
up
on
the
shelf.
And
when
he
finally
buys
a
cricket
bat
from
the
same
store,
the
courteous
owner
offers
him
a
discount
because
he's
been
his
loyal
customer.
In
another
scene,
the
same
boy
gets
punished
by
his
teacher
for
playing
cricket
in
classroom,
and
in
retaliation
he
pulls
a
prank
on
him
with
his
friends.
They
get
expelled
for
their
stunt
and
as
they're
made
to
stand
outside,
he
still
thinks
about
playing
cricket.
These
memorable
scenes
in
the
first
half
of
Suseenthiran's
Jeeva
introduce
us
to
the
story
of
Jeeva,
an
aspiring
cricketer
and
the
environment
he's
growing
up
in.
He
is
surrounded
by
a
father
who
is
still
grieving
his
wife's
death
and
hence
is
drunk
mostly,
neighbors
who
look
after
him
as
though
he's
their
own
and
a
society
that
switches
off
television
sets
the
moment
Sachin
Tendulkar
is
dismissed
in
a
match.
As
promoted
by
the
makers,
Jeeva
is
the
story
of
a
cricketer
and
not
just
about
the
sport.
There's
more
action
and
melodrama
off
the
field
than
on
it.
Suseenthiran
takes
a
dig
at
the
selection
committe
of
the
Tamil
Nadu
Cricket
Board
that
has
only
been
favoring
players
from
a
certain
community.
It's
about
a
sport
versus
politics
story
told
from
the
perspective
of
the
minority.
Rating:
3.0/5
A
lot
of
pertinent
questions
are
raised
in
the
film,
which
never
attempts
to
be
controversial
despite
addressing
a
very
sensitive
issue.
Without
naming
any
players,
Jeeva
reminds
us
that
80
percent
of
Tamil
Nadu
players
who've
played
for
the
country
belong
to
a
certain
community.
And
the
stats
are
astonishingly
true.
While
pointing
fingers
at
the
community,
Suseenthiran
very
intelligently
brings
the
talent
angle
to
keep
the
tone
of
comparison
very
neutral.
Gripping
Second
Half
Jeeva
is
gripping
with
a
moving
second
half,
but
not
as
inspiring
as
Iqbal.
The
problem
being
it
focuses
on
a
romantic
track
that
completely
acts
as
a
spoilsport.
Suseenthiran's
desperate
act
to
portray
his
film
as
a
commercial
entertainer
and
not
as
a
sports-drama
doesn't
go
down
too
well.
It
somehow
distracts
you
from
the
film's
core
subject
and
that's
a
big
letdown.
If
only
these
crucial
comprises
were
handled
with
care,
the
film
would've
been
highly
satisfying.
Performance
Vishnu,
who
has
played
Ranji
level
cricket
before
becoming
an
actor,
fits
into
the
titular
role
effortlessly.
He
shines
as
a
cricketer,
but
not
as
much
as
a
lover
boy
in
the
first
half.
The
cricket
sequences
are
very
realistically
executed
but
for
a
few
shots
involving
graphics.
Friendship
Angle
Suseenthiran
uses
the
friendship
angle
in
the
story
quite
well
and
although
it
reaches
a
predictable
end,
it
still
touches
your
heart.
Pleasant
Surprise
Suseenthiran
has
a
knack
for
turning
his
stories
around
in
the
post-interval
session,
and
he
does
it
here
too
extremely
well.
He
opens
the
film
with
a
scene
that
features
Vishnu
narrating
his
story
as
a
cricketer,
which
at
that
point
seemed
very
clichéd,
but
by
the
time
the
film
reaches
its
climax
you're
pleasantly
surprised.
His
subtle
twists
at
some
crucial
junctures
are
a
treat
to
watch.
Verdict:
Jeeva
is
a
tribute
to
all
the
passionate
cricket
players
who
have
failed
without
ever
getting
an
opportunity
to
prove
their
mettle.
It's
the
story
of
passion
versus
politics.