Test is 2025 Kollywood Sports Drama that had a direct-to-streaming release via Netflix on 4th April 2025. The movie was written by S. Sashikanth and Suman Kumar, produced by Chakravarthy Ramachandra under YNOT Studios, and directed by S. Sashikanth.
The film was announced in April 2023. Principal photography commenced the same month and continued till January 2024, where it was predominantly shot in Chennai and Bengaluru. It runs for 2 hours and 25 minutes. The movie is rated PG-13 and not suitable for viewers younger than 13.
Premise
Arjun is India’s best Test batsman in years but is now feeling the pressure to retire. With the final Test of the India vs Pakistan series ahead, Arjun is asked to retire, but then a dramatic twist by him earns him another chance.
At age 34, Kumudha is trying to have a child through IVF and needs to pay 5 lakhs in order for the procedure to be carried out the next Monday. The doctor tells her it’s her last chance to be able to have a child; she has always dreamt of being a mother and must find a way to procure the money for the procedure.
Sara is a learned and talented scientist working with so much integrity, he finds no other way to go ahead and is surprised in a country where crores are spent on a cricket tournament, whereas innovation has no helping hand. He gets tired of all the frustration he was getting, and his desperation led him to show his negative shades, which he believed would most likely be his way of achieving success.
These 3 people’s worlds collide during a historic international cricket Test match in Chennai, which ultimately forces them to make life-changing difficult decisions. The central question it raises is: Is there really a right or wrong choice? The movie explores themes of moral conflicts resonating beyond the game of cricket. It highlights the complex nature of success and failures in life as a whole.
Cast and Performances
R. Madhavan as Saravanan:
Saravanan is a scientist from MIT. He is Kumuda’s husband, a struggling scientist, a lot has been put into this his dream, and he still hasn’t made it. Sara becomes obsessed with accomplishing his Hydrofuel project in his own country, India. He did a decent job playing this role.
Nayanthara as Kumudha:
She played the wife of Sara. Kumudha is desperate to complete her family by having a child. She is extremely maternal, to the point that her workplace is asking her to calm down with the gifts.
Kumudha’s father had already sacrificed a lot in order for Sara to achieve this dream of his; he sold most of his properties for this very dream. As the dream wasn’t forthcoming, he opened a canteen for Sara. Sara sold this canteen and put the money into his obsession without Kumudha knowing about it.
When she found out, she was heartbroken because he had lied to her about dropping the obsession and concentrating fully on the canteen business, not knowing that it was the other way round. Her performance was good.
Siddharth as Arjun:
Arjun is a talented test batsman; he is supposed to be the lead, the hero, but he is easily overshadowed by the other characters. He is the father of Aditya and a husband to Padma. While playing his last game before his retirement, his father fell ill, and his son was kidnapped, and the kidnapper blackmailed him to rig the game unless his son will be killed.
Meera Jasmine Padma:
She played the role of Aditya’s mother. One can see how she portrayed the love and compassion for her child as any mother would. She was ready to do anything for her child. It was a beautiful performance.
Lirish Rahav as Aditya:
Aditya is Arjun’s son; he admires his dad and follows in his footsteps. He sees his dad as a hero and fights anyone who dares to speak ill of his dad. Lirish Rahav is a really good child actor.
Kaalivenkat as Bharani:
He played the role of Sara’s friend, and together with Sara, they went and borrowed money from a known criminal whose boss is Dharmesh, a known money launderer who is on the police’s Watchlist. His performance was satisfactory
‘Aadukalam’ Muragadoss as Kutty:
He played the criminal who Sara and Bharani borrowed money from, and because they couldn’t pay him back, his boss deducted the 50 lakhs from his salary. This really got him angry, and he was ready to get back the money by all means. His portrayal of a scorned criminal was impressive.
What I Liked About the Movie
Positive Messages and Lessons Learnt
The story was based on practical life. The movie showed that not only can common persons have struggles in their lives, but sometimes talented people like Sara and celebrities like Arjun also face struggles in life. It is how we combat these trials that really show how strong we are.
Though the story isn’t based on the life of a real cricketer, it subtly addresses the hardships and challenges faced by athletes, leaving a lasting impression on the viewer.
At its core, the film explores the concept of a “test” in life. It’s not just about cricket but about those difficult, defining moments where you’re confronted with tough choices. The movie gives a message about how some dreams become a success while some might become an obsession that will destroy the person’s life.
What Didn’t Work
Weak Plot and Poor Character Development
The story lacks depth and characterisation, has lots of plot holes, far-fetched projects, and even more convoluted characters.
The characters’ acting was subpar; Arjun has the same facial expression throughout, and he doesn’t seem like a sportsman,
Kumuda, a teacher, lacks common sense. If you want to take a child home, a responsible person will inform the parents beforehand, unless she should have waited with the child at the spot where she found him until his parents came to get him. This teacher should definitely be expelled for not following the school rules at all.
The policemen were underutilised; it seemed like the writer introduced the cops and gave them some role but later forgot about them. I was expecting some action from their side since they did get some clues, and I thought they would have rescued the child in the end.
Unfocused plot
The battle between good and evil and the choices between right and wrong constantly shift sides, making it an illogical affair. For instance, Kumudha is a big cricket fan and a huge admirer of Arjun, yet she suddenly transforms into a selfish woman. It’s utterly ridiculous.
Ill-defined Narrative
I never really understood the match-fixing theme in terms of logical reasoning on the cinematic horizon because you can fix one batsman but not the other ten players from his team and eleven opponents. How do you expect the results to favour you with twenty-one unpredictable players on the field?
Very long storytime.
Test revolves around a high-stakes cricket match between India and Pakistan while also metaphorically placing its three protagonists through personal tests of morality and decision-making. In that sense, the title fits well.
However, the film also ends up testing the audience’s patience due to its overstretched runtime, sluggish narrative, and repetitive scenes.
Final Thoughts
Test is able to maintain a light hold on realism and give a nice movie-watching experience. The film excels in portraying societal views on winning, losing, success, and failure while also exploring the simple desires of a woman.
These seemingly different worlds intersect in a way that speaks to the heart of life’s struggles and the choices we make. A bit of patience pays off here, making it a worthy watch for lovers of Kollywood drama.
Rating
I rate this movie 3 out of 5 stars
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