Rating: 2.5
Eros Now’s latest sports web series ‘7 Kadam’ portrays the complex relationship between a father and son, both extremely passionate about “the beautiful game” of football.
Story
Aurobindo Pal (Ronit Roy) was one of the most promising players of his time. But after injuring his leg, he couldn’t even walk properly and had to give up his dream of playing professional football.
When his son, Ravi (Amit Sadh), shows even more potential as a footballer, he sees a glimpse to achieve his dreams vicariously. He also begins coaching Ravi’s team Asansol XI, and reaches national league.
However, Ravi is unhappy with the meagre pay as an Asansol XI player, and decided to join rival team, Kolkata Bagan, which has also reached the national league. Fate pits father against son in an emotion-drive narrative.
Performances
Roy is known for playing stern characters, but he portrays Aurobindo just as brilliantly. He really does seem broken about not being able to fulfil his dreams and that inherent sadness remains throughout.
Sadh matches him toe-for-toe as the son looking to achieve big and help his family financially. They show excellent camaraderie and the scenes that the two have together easily steal the show.
Sadly, the standout performances end there. Every other character seems either unconvincing or over the top.
The difference is so obvious that Roy and Sadh sometimes seem out of place with the other characters, as if they’re not even part of the same film or world.
Positives
Roy and Sadh are a treat to watch together. Ravi and Aurobindo will be relatable to any son and father relationship in different ways. Their scenes pack enough emotion to move almost anybody.
Football is just at the backdrop and can be replaced with anything. This is the complex story of a father and son at its core and that is its strongest point.
While the first two episodes are underwhelming. The series picks up after that as the conflicts mount. For all its cliches, the ending is actually handled well.
Negatives
While the relationships take priority over football in 7 Kadam, a bit of professional portrayal could have helped. None of the characters actually have the body language of a sportsman.
All characters, except Aurobindo and Ravi, hold the series back and their subplots are hard to watch at times and you just wish the focus goes back to the lead pair. Even the antagonist seems of place. He plots against Aurobindo in such an exaggerated manner even when he’s alone. It’s tough to take him seriously.
This is clearly a film that was converted into a web series, and thus suffers with coherence. It also mostly lacks the subtlety you would expect from a web series.
Worth it?
If you’re looking for an endearing father-son story, 7 Kadam will definitely appeal to you. Apart from that, the series doesn’t have a much to offer.
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