‘Vijay 69’ review: A senior citizen’s impossible mission runs into scripting obstacles

In his acting debut in 1984, Anupam Kher played an old man bent over by personal tragedy. Four decades later, in his latest movie, Kher plays an old man pumped up by the prospect of participating in a triathlon.

Vijay 69 sees Kher as the titular hero keen on achieving the near impossible. Spurred by the desire to prove that 69-year-olds can cycle, swim and run just as well as younger participants, Vijay gets into training mode, but must first navigate an obstacle race that winds past his own fears and naysayers.

His daughter is horrified. His friends are supportive, if somewhat sceptical. Others, including the father of Vijay’s nearest rival, the vastly younger Aditya (Mihir Ahuja), are downright contemptuous.

Akshay Roy’s Hindi movie, which is out on Netflix, has the intention of being an inspirational can-do drama but not all the ingredients to make it work. The question of whether Vijay will triumph is immaterial in a feel-good comedy of this type. Anupam Kher is enthusiasm personified, wholly convincing as the sexagenarian with a point or two to prove.

But unlike the Oscar-nominated Nyad, in which Annette Bening marvellously portrayed a 60-year-old former athlete embarking on a strenuous swim, Vijay 69 treats its hero’s mission like a picnic. Vijay’s endeavour is frequently eclipsed by...

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