From the Yash Raj Films and Netflix collaboration comes Vijay 69, written and directed by Akshay Roy. It stars Anupam Kher in the titular role as well as Chunky Panday and Mihir Ahuja in supporting roles.
VIJAY 69: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?
The Gist: After his family believes he died and holds a funeral for him, swimming coach Vijay Mathew takes stock of his life and is underwhelmed by the few things he’s accomplished. Determined to achieve something new at age 69, he signs up for a triathlon with the aim of being the oldest Indian man to complete one.
What Will It Remind You Of?: There’s a new crop of inspirational stories about older people achieving long-held dreams. Uunchai and NYAD come to mind, as their central characters set off to climb Mount Everest and swim across 100 miles of open ocean, respectively.
Performance Worth Watching: Anupam Kher as the central Vijay shows a mix of self-deprecation and self-determination over the course of the 2-hour film, and his expressive eyes are central to showing his story arc.
Memorable Dialogue: “Vijay, what we thought we’d become versus what we actually became…this is everyone’s story,” Vijay’s dopey friend reminds him in a serene moment. Everyone had dreams when they were younger that didn’t necessarily come true, but it’s the catalyst for Vijay to finally chase something he’s wanted.
Sex and Skin: No skin here.
Our Take: As children, we are encouraged to dream big. Childhood is marked by trying to achieve those dreams, working towards excelling in hobbies and racking up trophies that announce our excellence. Then, all of that begins to fall away as we get older. Life happens. We have to pay rent, take care of families, and put food on the table. Instead of dreaming, we’re told there’s no dream job.
Vijay 69 takes back the dream. The film follows Vijay Mathew, a former swimming coach whose biggest achievement is a bronze medal at the National Championships, as he decides to participate as India’s oldest ever triathlon competitor. He’s not necessarily in shape, nor has he ever ran or biked enough to fulfill this task, so the film is mostly centered on his training.
But the Hindi-language film strikes an odd tone, as it inserts quirky side characters—including a frankly annoying vlogger that talks in colloquialisms and constantly live streaming via a phone attached to a selfie stick to represent the “youth,” and an American neighbor that exists as a caricature and talks like no American I have ever encountered in my life—and contrived conflicts with the media, Vijay’s daughter, and a much younger competitor and his father. Like many films in India, especially those under the Yash Raj Films banner, the melodrama is dialed all the way up and the lack of subtlety doesn’t serve a story like this. The side quests, including a fake rivalry with his opponent, make this much more of a popcorn flick than a real down-to-earth and introspective drama.
With Kher at the center, the film manages to occasionally exist as a moving portrait about aging. But the quiet moments are too few and it’s often dragged down by busy superficial drama, to its detriment. This isn’t a film about Vijay putting his head down and training to achieve a goal; through three-quarters of the film, Vijay can still barely bike up a steep hill. Instead, it’s a film about him wrestling with his unhappiness at the way his life turned out, and unfortunately, Vijay 69 muddles what could have been a poignant examination of how it feels when life passes you by.
Our Call: SKIP IT. Despite the film’s inspiring message about the triumph of the human spirit, its odd story choices and an uneven tone drag it down.
Radhika Menon (@menonrad) is a TV-obsessed writer based in Los Angeles. Her work has appeared on ELLE, Teen Vogue, Vulture and more. At any given moment, she can ruminate at length over Friday Night Lights, the University of Michigan, and the perfect slice of pizza. You may call her Rad.
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