Boxing gets the sweet and simple treatment
Alappuzha Gymkhana(3 / 5)
Alappuzha Gymkhana, directed by Khalid Rahman, is not your usual sports drama. It’s not about the big underdog or a dramatic comeback from rock bottom. Instead, it’s about a group of friends casually stepping into the boxing ring, not really knowing what they’re getting into, and slowly finding purpose in something they never took seriously at first. It’s light, fun, and has its heart in the right place, even if it doesn't land every punch perfectly.
Director: Khalid Rahman
Cast: Naslen K Gafoor, Lukman Avaran, Ganapathi, Sandeep Pradeep, Franco Francis, Baby Jean, Shiva Hariharan, Anagha Ravi
The film begins in true Alappuzha style: at a toddy shop, with a bunch of friends waiting for their 12th standard exam results. Whether they pass or fail doesn’t really matter to them. We meet Jojo Johnson (Naslen K Gafoor), the cheerful and slightly clueless lead, and his gang: Shifas Ahammed aka Valuthu (Sandeep Pradeep), Shifas Ali aka Cheruthu (Franco Francis), David (Baby Jean), and Shanavas (Shiva Hariharan). Everyone except Shanavas flunks the exam, but that’s hardly a setback for these boys. Their new goal? Join the local gymkhana, get into boxing, and land a college seat. That gymkhana is Alappuzha Gymkhana, a small, modest place that becomes the backdrop for their transformation. At first, their idea of boxing is just a formality, a box to tick. But slowly, as they train, compete, and grow closer as a team, something shifts. The sport helps them figure out who they are.
Jojo, in particular, goes through quite the journey. At first, he’s more focused on charming girls than throwing punches. He has a huge crush on Anupama (Nanda Nishanth), a girl he admires during his daily boat rides. On land, there’s Sherin (Noila Francy), his closest confidante, and later at the gymkhana, he develops a sudden infatuation with Natasha (Anagha Ravi), a serious, no-nonsense boxer. After a painfully awkward moment with Anupama—where he freezes up when she leans in for a kiss—she breaks up with him, saying she wants a boyfriend who can give her a perfect kiss. Poor Jojo is left confused and embarrassed. This sparks a mini mission of sorts: he starts asking women about the kind of boyfriend they prefer, trying to piece together where he’s falling short. It’s funny, earnest, and very Jojo. The only person he dares to ask about kissing, though, is Sherin. Her answer is simple but striking: “Keep it simple and sweet.” That line doesn’t just reflect Sherin’s calm wisdom—it also sums up the film. Alappuzha Gymkhana doesn’t come out swinging with dramatic twists or over-the-top emotion. It keeps things light, fun, and heartfelt. It may not reinvent the sports genre, but it's full of warmth and sincerity.
The boxing angle kicks in more seriously once the boys start training under Antony Joshua (Lukman Avaran), a former national-level boxer with a fiery temper. Lukman brings a solid presence to the screen and is one of the film’s standout performers. The training sessions feel real and grounded. You can see the physical transformation the cast has gone through, and it adds a lot of credibility to the matches later on. Speaking of matches, the boxing scenes stand out as one of the biggest positives of the film. The fights don’t feel overdone or theatrical. Instead, there’s a rawness and energy to them, especially in the second half. Cheruthu’s match, in particular, has a great payoff when he turns to Valuthu and says, “Now you tell me who’s big and who’s small.” It's moments like these that bring a genuine smile.
One of Alappuzha Gymkhana’s most striking strengths is its music. Vishnu Vijay, who also delivered a memorable work in Thallumaala, delivers another stellar soundtrack here. His background score enhances even the most straightforward scenes, while the songs are full of energy and emotion. 'Punchara Punch', which plays during Natasha’s boxing match, and the training montage track 'Hatja' stand out as particularly effective in setting the tone. In many ways, the soundtrack becomes the film’s emotional core. Thallumaala cinematographer Jimshi Khalid’s work also deserves a big shoutout. The visuals of Alappuzha are beautiful and refreshing, and the camera work during the boxing sequences makes you feel the impact of each blow. Among the cast, everyone puts in a good show. Naslen, despite a few slips in dialect and delivery, makes Jojo a likeable and believable character. Ganapathi, Sandeep Pradeep, Franco Francis, and Lukman Avaran all do justice to their roles. Anagha Ravi, as Natasha, brings a quiet strength to the screen, and it’s refreshing to see a female character written with agency and dignity—even if the female arcs overall could have been a bit more fleshed out.
However, the film isn’t without its flaws. While the direction is solid and the performances are sincere, the writing sometimes plays it a little too safe. There’s a noticeable lack of surprise or fresh angles in the story. You can feel a bit of deja vu—like you’ve seen some of these scenes and tropes before in other films. The second half, in particular, loses a bit of momentum, going around in circles before reaching a fairly predictable ending. This isn’t helped by the editing either. While the first half flows smoothly, the second half feels a bit stretched. Thallumaala, Khalid’s previous film, had some of the most innovative and punchy editing in recent years, thanks to the late Nishadh Yusuf. He’s still credited here, but with Bles Thomas also on board as co-editor. It’s clear that the same spark isn’t quite there this time around.
On the whole, Alappuzha Gymkhana may not have the chaotic energy and inventiveness of Khalid's Thallumaala, but it shines through something else: simplicity. It’s a film that doesn’t try too hard to please the audience, which somehow lends it an alluring confidence. It’s about growing up, owning your mistakes, and finding your rhythm, both in sports and in life. To borrow a boxing term, this one’s a clean sparring match—not too aggressive, but filled with heart. It may not win any major titles, but it definitely deserves a cheer.