Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal could have been better!

Vivek Agnihotri's "Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal" (DDDG) is yet another sports movie that celebrates the victory of the underdogs over the establishment- a story that is as old as the hills and that sports movies have been religiously following ever since any one can remember. The only difference here is that DDDG is set in London's Southall and hence, comments on racial differences as well.

Southall United Football club is the first all Asian football club in London that is suffering due to lack of funds and sponsorship. Success has eluded the club for more than 20 years and the football ground owned by the club is being used for hosting wedding reception. The town council decides to take possession of the ground and convert it into a shopping centre for the benefit of the community. This is bad news for the passionate team captain Shaan (Arshad Warsi) who decides to bring in Tony (Boman Irani) to coach the team.

He manages to convince Tony and things start rolling. Shaan's sister Ramona (Bipasha Basu) joins in as the team doctor; the local hair saloon steps in as the sponsor and Indian boy Sunny (John Abraham) is brought in as the striker. How after petty conflicts, misunderstandings and some difficulties, Southall United manages to win the English Premier League is what the rest of the movie is all about.

For any sports movie to be entertaining, what one needs is a racy script and fast paced narrative style. DDDG fails in both these counts- there is prima facie nothing wrong with the script or the direction. The only hitch is that everything takes its own sweet little time to happen forcing the audience to yawn their way through the movie. Add to it, there are no punchy dialogues or inspiring songs and what you get is a half baked narrative- a complete no- no as regards a sports movie is concerned.

Technically, the movie is first rate. Performance wise, John Abraham disappoints. He knows very well to juggle a football and he looks slim, trim and hot playing Sunny Bhasin. But, he lacks the vigour, spirit and passion that is so very important while playing the protagonist in a sports movie- and these are things Boman Irani displays in plenty. Arshad Warsi is sincere, Bipasha Basu has nothing much to do and out of the rest of the cast, Raj Zutshi and Kushal Punjabi stand out.

DDDG is a good effort for a first time director but it could have paid rich dividends had it been slicker!