Akshay Roy’s Vijay 69 has a sparkling innocence embedded in its frames, whether it is the playfulness in its colour palette, with an even spread of blues and oranges, or the lively charm invoked by the writing. Everything feels delightfully animated, right from the performances which are pitched on a note higher than usual to the eccentric appearances of the characters. It is a world that seems to have come out of a children’s comic book and that is blended with a cheerfully mature tale of a foul-mouthed oldie Vijay Matthew (Anupam Kher), a former expert swimmer, who faces an existential crisis at 69. This ironic union of its dreamy style with the profuse irritation of the protagonist feels fresh and joyous. Yet, it struggles to reach a heartwarming crescendo in the finale.
The first time we meet Vijay is on a pavement leading to the Gateway of India as he contemplates jumping into the sea. His face carries the weight of an unfulfilled life, and his eyes dwells in the past of what could have been. “He was a good rummy player and a champion garba dancer,” says his friend Fali Bathena (Chunky Panday) as he awkwardly tries to recall the achievements of Vijay at the funeral prayers later. His friends and family roll their eyes and make faces sitting below on wooden benches. Two kids talk about how Vijay’s body was not found. “He will return as a ghost!”, one of them remarks. By then, Fali’s failing eulogy has to recover and he turns sentimental in his next breath to say, “Vijay mara nahi, Vijay marte nahi (Vijay has not died, people like him don’t die)”. A door creaks open and Vijay comes walking along the aisle of his own funeral.
Director: Akshay Roy
Cast: Anupam Kher, Chunky Panday, Mihir Ahuja, Vrajesh Hirjee, Guddi Maruti, Paritosh Sand, Kunal Vijaykar
Streamer: Netflix
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