Test - A 5 day test for the audience

Test

Tamil - Drama
145 min

Netflix

Test is a sports-based drama centered around three main characters:

• Arjun Venkatraman (Siddharth), an Indian cricketing legend past his prime, unwilling to retire.
• Saravanan / Sara (R. Madhavan), an MIT alumnus striving to revolutionize fuel cell technology.
• Kumudha (Nayanthara), a school teacher and Saravanan’s wife, desperate to have a child.

Kumudha happens to be the daughter of Arjun’s first cricket coach and is now the teacher of Arjun’s son. Sara wants to give Kumudha the happiness she desires, while also trying hard to get his ambitious project funded by the government. Meanwhile, Arjun clings to his fading glory, desperately hoping to retain his place in the playing eleven for the deciding Test match— being played on his home ground.

These personal and professional conflicts unfold over the five days of the final Test match. As the match progresses, each character is “tested,” pushing their emotional and psychological limits. as their insecurities are laid bare. Unfortunately, the film becomes a slog - It turns into a “test” for the viewer as well—taking too long to set the stage, and then moving along predictable storylines with few surprises.

It took me a while to understand how this dream cast signed up for this project. The movie marks the writing and directorial debut of S. Sashikanth, the man behind YNOT Studios, known for producing extremely original cinema over the last decade, including some of Madhavan's biggest movies.

Madhavan has the most screen time and lines, and he does what he does best. He’s particularly effective in scenes with Nayanthara, using his trademark expressions to good effect. Nayanthara, looking elegant in simple cotton sarees, delivers an emotional performance.

Siddharth does his best with a character that is arguably the weakest of the three in terms of writing.  His cricket scenes look very authentic. There is one sequence where the three meet at Arjun's son's birthday - which is an absolute ripper!

The cricketing sequences are well shot and the Chepauk stadium setting feels genuine. Technically, the film is top-notch. The cinematography is beautiful, and the sports sequences are well shot. The music—both songs and background score—by Shaktishree Gopalan is impressive.

It is unfortunate that such a talented cast is let down by a script that feels templated and undercooked, being a huge opportunity missed. Given the pedigree of the actors and the promising premise, Test ends up as a huge disappointment.