Test Review: When Moral Lines Blur On and Off the Pitch

“Test,” an Indian drama now available on streaming platforms, uses the fervent world of international cricket as its canvas. Specifically, the narrative unfolds against the backdrop of a highly anticipated test match between India and Pakistan – an event that, for audiences familiar with the subcontinent’s passions, is far more than a mere sporting contest; it is a recognized stage for national pride and intense rivalry.

The film traces the intersecting trajectories of three central individuals, each grappling with formidable personal and professional trials that push them to their limits. As their stories converge, “Test” probes ambitions that curdle, moral compasses that spin under duress, and the crushing weight of expectation, hinting at a complex, if not entirely seamless, exploration of human fallibility.

Three Lives on a Collision Course

The film introduces its key players as they navigate precarious junctures. Arjun (Siddharth) is a celebrated cricketer confronting a sharp career decline. The looming India-Pakistan test match becomes the focal point of immense pressure, not just for his career but also for his identity, which seems entirely fused with the sport.

This singular focus visibly strains his relationships with his wife, Padma (Meera Jasmine), and their young son, Adi. Elsewhere, Kumudha (Nayanthara), a school teacher, carries the deep-seated desire for motherhood, embarking on what might be her final attempt at IVF treatment.

Married to Saravanan (R Madhavan), her life is also quietly linked to Arjun’s through a shared past – her father was his childhood cricket coach. Saravanan, an MIT graduate with dreams of groundbreaking innovation via a fuel cell project, ironically operates a modest canteen.

His ambition, however grand, is ensnared by substantial debt to loan sharks. The impending cricket match provides a tense countdown for all, while Saravanan’s financial woes serve as the critical link, pulling these personal dramas into the orbit of a more dangerous, criminal enterprise.

The Crucible of Character

“Test” attempts to dissect how ambition and desperation mold its characters. Arjun’s aloofness and harsh words to his son, particularly after Adi struggles in a school match, suggest a man whose professional anxieties have eroded his personal empathy.

Siddharth’s portrayal of Arjun is often restrained, which could be interpreted as the character’s emotional shutdown in the face of failure. Kumudha’s yearning for a child is a poignant, quiet battle, positioning her as an emotional touchstone, though at times she seems caught within traditional expectations. Nayanthara’s performance captures this internal conflict, though its consistency varies.

The most pronounced character trajectory is perhaps Saravanan’s. R Madhavan charts his transformation from an idealistic inventor, who once spoke of his project changing the world, to a man making increasingly dubious choices.

This descent into a morally grey area, driven by debt and a relentless desire for his project’s success (he aims to be “the next Steve Jobs”), is a familiar arc in stories where high aspirations meet grim realities. Supporting figures like Arjun’s son, Adi, effectively mirror the consequences of adult pressures, while characters like Padma often feel peripheral, a common oversight when male ambition dominates the narrative.

A Complex Game of Genres

Director S. Sashikanth’s “Test” endeavors to blend multiple genres: the fervor of a sports drama, the intimacy of domestic melodrama, and the sharp edges of a crime thriller. The India-Pakistan cricket match itself is laden with cultural significance, representing a potent source of national tension and individual pressure.

This sporting arena is interspersed with personal struggles: Arjun’s familial disquiet, Kumudha’s poignant battle with infertility, and the palpable strain on her marriage to Saravanan. These elements seek to ground the narrative in relatable human experience.

Layered onto this is a crime plot involving loan sharks, a formidable betting syndicate boss named Dharmesh, and the pervasive threat of match-fixing, which introduces a vein of suspense. The film examines how these various threads intertwine, forcing characters into situations that severely challenge their integrity.

While the narrative aims to explore what such trials reveal about their true selves, the path it takes sometimes feels well-trodden, with certain plot developments unfolding with a degree of predictability that can temper the suspense in its thriller components.

The Director’s Innings: Hits and Misses

In his directorial debut, S. Sashikanth demonstrates ambition in tackling a multi-layered narrative, though the execution presents a mixed outcome. The film’s considerable runtime, approaching two and a half hours, occasionally feels taxing, a common attribute in some commercial Indian filmmaking that here struggles for consistent justification.

The pacing can be uneven; moments of rapid-fire editing, perhaps intended to build tension, contrast with slower, drawn-out montages and slow-motion sequences that sometimes dilute narrative momentum. There’s a sense that the film struggles to unify its disparate parts, at times feeling like two distinct cinematic ideas uneasily joined.

Viraj Singh Gohil’s cinematography offers visually competent sequences, particularly in capturing the on-field cricket action. The musical score by Shakthishree Gopalan, and an opening track for Arjun by Yogi B, aims to underline the emotional currents, sometimes effectively, at other times conventionally.

Some directorial choices, like an animated sequence for Arjun’s backstory, offer a flicker of inventive storytelling. “Test” seems to aspire to be a character-focused drama rather than a quick-paced spectacle, a worthy goal that is, unfortunately, not always steadily achieved.

Test was released directly on Netflix on April 4, 2025, and is available in Tamil, Hindi, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada.

Full Credits

Director: S. Sashikanth

Writers: S. Sashikanth, Suman Kumar

Producers and Executive Producers: S. Sashikanth, Chakravarthy Ramachandra

Cast: R. Madhavan, Nayanthara, Siddharth, Meera Jasmine, Kaali Venkat, Nassar, Vinay Varma

Director of Photography (Cinematographer): Viraj Singh Gohil

Editors: T. S. Suresh

Composer: Shakthisree Gopalan