Another sports movie hits the screen after Lagaan dealing with cricket and Chak De with the women’s hockey team. Goal is about football and racism in England. So the story opens to the fate of the Southhall United Club that must win the league championship in order to win the prize money needed to save their football ground. A scheming businessman, Dalip Tahil who wants to convert it into a shopping mall, also covets the football ground.
Rating: 2.5/5
Arshad Warsi, as Shaan is the captain of the Southhall football team who ropes in former disgraced player Tony Singh, played by Boman Irani to coach the team to victory. Tony finds it an uphill task to coach the team, which lacks a sense of purpose and team spirit. So he decides to involve Sunny, essayed by John Abraham. At first, Sunny refuses as he plays for a rebel team that has promised him a mansion a fancy car and loads of money. This happens two games before the finals when Southhall is in the second position. They need to win the penultimate game to get a shot at the trophy. However as circumstances would have it they lose this crucial game.
Bipasha Basu and John Abraham in Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal
Meanwhile Sunny sits down to watch the crucial game in a pub, where he meets his father’s old friend. This friend recounts that Sunny’s dad was at one time a big Southhall fan and had saved Tony, their star player back then, from harm. Hearing this Sunny rushes to opt for coach Tony’s team. He joins Shaan’s team at the beginning of the game and takes them to victory. This is the only weak point in the story. How could Sunny join Shaan’s team after leaving it once? However things are not easy as Sunny shares an uneasy relationship with Shaan and his teammates.
Arshad Warsi in Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal
The film then takes you through the rapprochement between the two and how the Southhall team goes on to win the championship. The initial part of the movie also depicts the love between John and Bipasha, the physiotherapist of the team. The second half is about building the team spirit and love for the game.
The songs are nicely set to music by Pritam and the onscreen pair of John and Bipasha sizzle as they do in real life. Arshad Warsi as the captain who struggles to hold the team together is not as strong. Bipasha as the team physiotherapist is subdued and controlled. Boman Irani enacts the role of the defeated star player and firebrand coach with panache. Vivek Agnihotri has captured well the life of Asians in Britain, including the racism they are subjected to. He has taken great pains to capture some real game shots that add to the flavor of the film.
Boman Irani in Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal
Overall it is a good watch and seems that movies dealing with sports themes are here to stay in Bollywood.
Rating: 2.5/5
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