Soubin Shahir’s Sudani From Nigeria Movie Review

Sudani from Nigeria is a 2018 Indian Malayalam-language comedy-drama film written and directed by Zakariya Mohammed, with dialogues co-written by Muhsin Parari. Shyju Khalid was…

Sudani from Nigeria is a 2018 Indian Malayalam-language comedy-drama film written and directed by Zakariya Mohammed, with dialogues co-written by Muhsin Parari. Shyju Khalid was the cinematographer, who also produced the film with Sameer Thahir. It stars Soubin Shahir and Samuel Abiola Robinson.[3] The story follows a Nigerian football player who joins a club in Malappuram, Kerala for the sevens football match.[4] Sudani from Nigeria was released in India on 23 March 2018. It met with widely positive critical response and was a commercial success at the box office.

Saubin Shahir
Saubin Shahir

Sudani from Nigeria Movie Review

Majeed is a football club manager in Malappuram and while his team plays for the Sevens tournament, one of the foreign players from Nigeria, Samuel, injures his leg. As he is advised a month of rest, Majeed takes Samuel to his home. But, it was just the beginning of a series of mishaps.

The name Sudani from Nigeria is unique, but it does have a lazy downmarket tinge to it. And when you see the actors featured on its posters, most of whose faces aren’t quite familiar or rank among our top artistes, it’s easy to judge it as a project that might not offer much. All of the impressions are quashed soon after this refreshing sports drama begins and casually moves forward like a neighbourhood tale. This film shows how a story with a strong spine and actors of calibre can still put together a wonderfully entertaining and touching tale.

Sudani from Nigeria
Sudani from Nigeria

Samuel aka Sudu is an ace striker in Majeed’s Sevens football team, which has many players like him imported from Africa. Halfway through the tournament, Sudu has a freak accident and injures his leg and spine. He is forced to rest, and Majeed takes him home to recuperate. However, one after the other a series of troubles crop up, putting both Majeed and Sudu in a soup.

Sports dramas of M-Town are often cookie-cutter underdog stories but Sudani from Nigeria is truly different. It’s an amazingly refreshing tale, set in the electric environment of football frenzy in Malappuram. Each of the characters is so adorable that all of them win the viewers’ hearts. Impressing the audience is a habit for Soubin Shahir but the one that surprises in this film is Samuel, the 19-year-old handsome Nigerian actor. Be it as a puzzled foreigner amidst the over caring Malayalis or as the enraged African soul who can’t stand the privileged wasting water, his performance is stupendous. His smile lights up the screen and when he is in pain, it reflects both on to the rest on the frame and the viewers outside of it. Many of the scenes that show his caretakers praying to alleviate Sudu’s misery, or for the recovery of his passport and the like get etched in our minds. It’s also a lot of fun to watch how the African players merge with the Malappuram crowd, be it to check out a neighbourhood shop or push away two sparring football groups.

Saubin in Sudani from Nigeria
Saubin in Sudani from Nigeria

When the movie traverses beyond the football zone to the war-torn world of Sudu’s family and turns its attention to the lovelorn character of Majeed’s mom, the film ends up effortlessly exploring many bigger issues too. Savithri Sreedharan who plays Soubin’s mom’s character and Sarasa Balussery’s Beeyumma also stay with us long after the movie wraps up.

Sudani from Nigeria might not have big names to boast of but it’s got everything in its right place, be it comedy, sentiments, thrills or tears. A trip to check him out would definitely be worth it.

Sudani From Nigeria Official Trailer

Source: Happy Hours Entertainments