Sports in India has always been a hub of politics where money and muscle power override talent. And unless the sports authorities address this issue, India will always remain a stand by in any team sport barring cricket. This is the crux of Stand By produced under the banner of BRC Productions.  Rahul Navrekar (Adinath Kothare) and Shekhar (Siddharth Kher) are good friends and players of the Maharashtra football team. Shekhar is a rough and careless player arrogant of his place in the team because of the power his rich father (Dalip Thahil) wields. Rahul is a diligent player who is backed by his father (Sachin Khedekar) to pursue football as their combined dream. However, their lives and friendship takes a beating when the selections take place for the National team. The film goes on to show how football becomes a game in the hands of the wealthy and powerful, where careers can be bought and friendships forsaken.

The promos of this friday's Bolywood release 'Stand By' promised a film similar to the Shah Rukh Khan Blockbuster Chak De India. But can this film stand up to Chak De?  Not at all? The first half of the film is decent with certain commendable scenes involving Sachin Khedekar who once again proves to be an exceptional actor. Adinath is OK. He did try to get it right but seemed uncomfortable especially in the emotional scenes. Siddharth was artificial with one standard expression which works for him in some situations. Dalip Tahil was disappointing with hispseudo English accent and melodramatic performance.  From a director who has won 4 national awards, the direction and screenplay are weak. There are many scenes which end abruptly leaving you wondering about the purpose of showing them in the first place. The thrill of the game, the stakes, drama and tension that was built amazingly in 'Chak de' are absolutely missing. The second half of the film is a montage of random scenes which try to bring out too many aspects that lead the film to its climax which again falls short of expectations.

Sanjay Jadhav does not impress with the camera. In the first half of the film, the shots of the game could have been made more interesting and dynamic to capture the attention of the viewers. Even otherwise, the camera angles and movement do not add to the screenplay.  The music in the film is not up to the mark. The background score does not compliment the drama and is redundant. The item number was forced into the screenplay in a seemingly desperate attempt to attract audiences.  Overall, a film which means well but does not impact due to poor direction, acting, screenplay and music.

Verdict: A stand by film