‘Biker’ movie review: Sharwanand’s sports drama is predictable, but still has plenty going for it

There are times when a filmmaker chooses to not reinvent the wheel or the story, to be precise. But a new setting lets it breathe. The broad contours of the storyline, sub plots and character arcs in director Abhilash Reddy’s Telugu sports drama, Biker are familiar. Motocross, a sport that has rarely or perhaps never been explored in Indian cinema, gives it a new sheen. The cutting-edge audio-visual landscape and worthwhile performances make it fairly engaging. 

At a time when the catchphrase ‘world-building’ is casually thrown around, and often limited to creating make-believe worlds aided by heavy use of visual effects, it is refreshing to watch a film unfold in real locations. The dust-laden, bumpy off-roading circuits and a landscape where the plains are fringed by the horizon add to the visual aesthetic.

Biker follows a non-linear format of storytelling, moving between the 1990s, 2000s and occasionally the 80s, to present a story of two generations of fathers and sons. When the film opens with glimpses of an almost picture-perfect happy family — Vikas Narayan (Sharwanand), Ananya (Malvika Nair) and their young son, peppered with playful turns in school and home, it’s endearing to witness. But an unmistakable question arises — where’s the lie?

Abhilash peels back the layers to reveal strained family ties, with scars from the past that can heal only when a champion reclaims his throne.

The setting is Coimbatore, one of the cities where motocross thrives. While the film primarily revolves around Telugu-speaking people, it seamlessly uses multiple languages wherever required to maintain the authenticity.

In an early scene, when Vikas’s young son, in a biker suit, declares that his father is his superhero and that he loved his father’s motocross photograph of the past, it’s hard to not think of Gowtam Tinnanuri’sJersey. Abhilash tips his hat to that celebrated sports drama through several moments, almost as though intending his film to its spiritual successor. Simultaneously, he also draws thematically from his debut web-series Loser (a sports and family drama) and debut feature film Maa Nanna Superhero, a father-son story. 

Biker is a more masala-laden, commercial outing than Jersey. Yet, the multiple relationship threads give the story the required emotional gravitas. The writing shines more through the characters than the broad storyline. The unquestioning admiration that the young boy has for Vikas is an echo of the respect that Vikas has for his father-coach Sunil (Dr Rajashekhar). Parallely, there’s the less-explored but relevant bond between Vikas’s arch rival and his father. The bond between Vikas and Ananya and the upheavels it goes through, as parenthood tempers brute courage with caution and practicality, is yet another nod to Jersey. Then there’s the bond between Ananya and her mother (Tulasi).

Many of these characters also have their own, reasonably-etched individual arcs. Take Tulasi’s characterisation, for instance. There’s no melodrama when she learns of something that could appear unsettling in the 90s. In her limited screentime, she makes her presence felt by being a stoic support and nudging Ananya to look beyond her own fear in a pivotal scene. And Ananya is also not written like a pushover. The film may largely be about fathers and sons, their adrenaline-packed sports, and there’s still room for Ananya to assert herself— pursuing her profession of choice and having her say in crucial moments.

All these characters and the emotionally-laden sub plots serve to make the motocross segments absorbing enough. The racing circuit and the manoeuvre of the bikers are filmed with finesse, with cinematography led by Yuvaraj and the sound department (sound design by Sync Cinema and mixing by Kannan Ganpath) keeping us glued to the proceedings. 

The shift in motocross from the 90s, when two-strike bikes ruled, to the four-stroke bikes of the 2000s, work well to show how a biker has to adapt to prove himself.

During the pre-release interview, Abhilash had revealed that the motocross portions were filmed in Indonesia, but they have tried to appear authentic to the Coimbatore terrain. For anyone familiar with Coimbatore and its proximity to the hills of Kerala as well as Nilgiris, some portions work and in others, the cinematic liberty is evident. Yet, it isn’t a deterrant. While Biker has plenty of racing moments and even an improbable leap of faith, the deft touch lies in how the story uses that daring act as a narrative tool when it matters the most.

If there’s a sorethumb, it has to do with the characterisation of a corporate bigwig, played by Atul Kulkarni. The actor does not miss a beat and plays it to the hilt, but the part itself could have been more nuanced. The same goes for the sidekicks who accompany him. An early song and dance number featuring the lead pair is also a needless speedbreaker.

Several smaller moments — like a fleeting poster of Thalapathy, a screening of Baashha, a passing mention of a textile mill (a nod to Coimbatore and its successful textile mills of yore) sponsoring a race, work as markers of the 90s. The transition of time is subtly underlined through the Simba-Mufasa visuals from The Lion King of 2003.

Ghibran’s background score transitions between the decades, each with a different tempo and rhythm. Ghibran also knows when to let silence work its magic — it speaks volumes in a few moments between Vikas and Sunil. In another scene, the glances exchanged between Vikas and Anwar do the needful.

A story with high emotional stakes gets ample support from its actors. Biker marks the return to form for Sharwanand, after a string of middling films. Given a solid story and a character, his restrained performance packs a punch. Then there’s Malvika Nair, who quietly emotes through her eyes and lights up the screen with her presence. Dr Rajashekhar is mostly required to be stoic and a reference to his ‘angry young man’ image of the 80s and 90s elicits cheers.

As an aside, the film is peppered with several mentions of ‘loser’, almost as a callback to Abhilash’s web series.

On the whole, Biker is an engaging watch. Had it pushed itself to go beyond predictable turns, it could have been a standout film.

(Biker is currently running in theatres)

Published – April 03, 2026 02:43 pm IST