Tiki Taka Film Review
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Tiki Taka Film Review
Tiki Taka is a comedy of errors that leans more towards drama than laughs. The film delves into the emotions that drive club football in Kolkata and follows the journey of a clever and well-meaning taxi driver, Raju, who outsmarts the system to rescue his 'brother' Khelechi from the clutches of a drug lord. In this aspect, the film hits the mark. Raju orchestrates a rumor through struggling trainee journalist Bonny, played by Ritabhari Chakraborty, that Khelechi, a penniless Senegalese national stuck in India, is a talented footballer who has come to Kolkata to play for a club. The football enthusiasts of the city eagerly embrace the news, turning Khelechi—a name that resonates with every Bengali—into an overnight sensation. Despite no one having prior knowledge of him, nobody questions his skills or verifies the resume created by Raju. The outcome is a one-match wonder, leaving a lasting impression on the Kolkata football scene.
However, the story, which Raju narrates to two documentary makers, leaves several loopholes. One major inconsistency is the lack of clarity regarding Khelechi's fate after returning to impoverished Senegal without delivering the drugs he was supposed to. His purpose of visiting Kolkata was solely to hand over the drugs to PK. If a seemingly ordinary person like him can be involved as a courier for a drug smuggling ring, it stands to reason that he would face consequences if he returns empty-handed. The entire narrative seems far-fetched, involving a zamindar who operates a drug racket with a group of fools, a nonchalant police officer who refuses to take action, two club managers who are obsessed with signing Khelechi regardless of the cost, and media journalists who pursue a rookie journalist's story without verifying its authenticity even once. These elements strain believability within the tale.
Despite all this, Tiki Taka is a nice watch. It boasts of some decent performances. While Parambrata and Emona rule the screen with their chemistry, Ritabhari also delivers her role quite nicely. The rest of the cast, however, have too short a screen presence for us to judge their performances. Even then, Kharaj Mukherjee, Param Bandopadhyay and Saswata Chatterjee and his assistant Kanchan Mallick add to the few funny moments in the film with elan. The background score and the couple of songs are also well-composed. There is however an issue with watching the default Hindi dubbed version, as the lip movements of the entirely Bengali cast don’t match the dialogues. Sadly, there is no Bengali version available where the whole pun angle to Khelechi’s name would have been right at home.
All said and done, Tiki Taka is a decent story that any football lover will connect well to. It doesn’t show a lot of the sport, but it’s a worth watch.