…it is a film that helps you connect with your inner self and will allow you to look at people with a little more compassion. You never know what the other is going through, even though he or she may be calm on the surface.

Please mark viewing CLUB 60 on your ‘to do list’ this week.

For many, the film might be a good enough on TV watch, but I just couldn’t help giving it an extra nudge for the heart it takes to make a film like this. One which takes an understanding, even if a slightly patronizing, look at the generation that’s over the hill.

The story works on different levels subtly telling us about, how each of us has gone through some or the other kind of loss and wallowing in self pity is never the solution and also how all of us can be accused of prejudging a person or a situation without really knowing the reality. And most of all, old age is not the end of life.

Unfortunately writer-director Sanjay Tripathy can’t lift this script from its quicksand of predictability, and can’t avoid the mawkish melodrama that stories like these inevitably slip into. That, along with a clumsy, overlong climax, makes ‘Club 60’ a rather dull affair in the end. I’m going with two out of five – it’s a sincere film, but one that could’ve benefited from smarter writing and slicker treatment.

Watch it for some heart touching performances from Sarika and Farooque Sheikh. Overall Club 60 will struggle to lure in new members.

A coming-of-age movie with senior folk. How refreshing!

Club 60’s heart lies in its writing – specifically dialogue – and the stellar show by its cast. The screenplay breaks many contemporary conventions in its construction. Scenes take their time and meander; there is a barrage of innocuous interactions reflecting lives without frills. The smallest doses of happiness and sorrow found in routine banter and plot rendered meaningless. But all of this contributes in measures big and small to the fabric of the film, much like a Mike Leigh movie.

I would recommend ‘Club 60’, because it brings into the frame an age group euphemistically called the ‘silvers’, and by touching a chord with its performances. Farooque Shaikh is as solid as ever. And he is given company by the lovely Sarika, who locks into her role with a terrific wet-eyed moment. She keeps him and the film going.

Club 60, could’ve been a good film, if didn’t carry so much emotional baggage. And oh, the oddly placed songs in the film, only add to this film’s misery.

The otherwise well-intentioned film is slightly marred by its length.
The climax in which Dr. Tariq is forced to report in the operation room is not easy to digest. Yet, the few demerits of Club 60 outweigh the genuineness with it has been made.

…starts off on a promising note but its downward spiral comes faster than one could apprehend.

Now would be a great time to stop referencing old films if filmmakers really want to break new grounds with fresh story ideas.

… talks of senior citizens facing a late-life crisis due to personal loss convincingly. An emotional journey of friendship, warmth, generosity and the indomitable human spirit, it’s an honest attempt for sure.