Start the week with a film: Why ‘Alappuzha Gymkhana’ is and isn’t about boxing

Alappuzha Gymkhana isn’t only about boxing. The Malayalam comedy has many scenes that showcase the sport. But Khalid Rahman’s hugely enjoyable movie is equally about friendship, self-realisation and the true meaning of victory.

Out on Sony LIV after a blockbuster run in Kerala, Alappuzha Gymkhana revolves around the teenagers Jojo, Shanavas, DJ, Valuth and Cheruth. Only Shanavas has passed the 12th standard examination. Jojo (Naslen), the informal group leader, suggests getting into college through the sports quota. Why not boxing? How hard can landing punches be?

At the Alappuzha Gymkhana that offers boxing lessons, an attempt to get a discount flops. Will you muscles grow in instalments too, the manager wants to know.

The humour flows naturally and easily in Rahman’s screenplay, co-written with Sreeni Saseendran. Alappuzha Gymkhana has the shooting-the-breeze quality that is often in found in the better Malayalam buddy dramas, but without the moralising or hand-wringing that is inserted into such films to give its characters a reality check.

Under the strict coach Anthony (Lukman Avaran), Jojo, Cheruth (Franco Francis) and Valuth (Sandeep Pradeep) become competent enough to participate in a district-level competition. Other boxers join the group, leading to new friendships and expanding Jojo’s universe.

There’s delightful camaraderie but also excellent displays of pugilistic skills as the competition gets underway. The...

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