Gaurav Malani

'Saina' seems like a project more than a film. Get the rights of a globally known figure, attach a director and an actor - and you have a project ready! What the makers do not bother to evaluate is whether the journey of the celebrity has enough drama for an enriching cinematic experience. Neither do they try to maneuver or manipulate the story to bring in the requisite drama. Saina essentially is a sports drama but the film certainly fails on the drama front. The basic plotline is the most cliched story-structure that any sports drama could opt for - rise, fall and the subsequent rise of the celebrity. The film opens with Saina winning the title of world champion and then goes into the conventional flashback to trace her story from her childhood. The problem is that by the time the flashback reaches the climax, you already know that Saina has won the match and thereby there isn't much anticipation or a crescendo moment in the finale match - which could have been the highlight of the film. As the film traces Saina's journey, you only witness her success for the major part of the film and there aren't any roadblocks in her path that could incite some drama in the proceedings. The conflict in her life arrives much late in the form of a disciplinarian coach (Manav Kaul) who expects more from her and wants her to be the world champion. In between, there is an insipid love story with zilch chemistry that pretty much adds no value to the film. And all of a sudden Saina goes on a losing spree. The rift between Saina and her coach - the only residual scope for drama in the film - is cut short with both parting ways never to reunite till the film ends. You are only enlightened in the end credits that they reconciled in life and this very element that could have been an interesting plot point in the film is sadly never even addressed in the screenplay. On the sports front, badminton isn't a sport that might provide as much action and entertainment as, perhaps, cricket or football. And unlike Dangal or Panga where unconventional sports like wrestling or kabaddi were very entertainingly choreographed, here we just have repetitive shots of shuttle flying from one end to other without any visual variation or cinenatic spunk. In fact the climactic match is painfully long. Despite having the entire film on her shoulders, Parineeti does not perform beyond the ordinary. Meghna Malik, as Saina's mother and support system starts off compellingly but soon gets theatrical. Eshan Naqvi as the love interest lacks screen presence and does not impress. Manav Kaul as the coach is the only one who tries to add some drama to the laidback proceedings but his track ends abruptly without any resolution. Saina is uninspiring, lackadaisical and a painfully long film. Saina Nehwal deserved a better biopic!