Sports films are rarely made here and if so, they end up as a tale of underdog winning against all odds, to leave a mark.

From Lagaan to Irudhi Suttru, movies on this genre have a set pattern. But here comes Kanaa – a socially conscious sports film. A shrewd filmmaker Arunraja Kamarajah with sport as backdrop, tries to bring to light the travails of farmers well.

It is not all about a woman setting out to achieve her dreams of representing India in cricket, but the pain and pressure that she undergoes to see smile in the face of her cricket-crazy father, who is a struggling farmer in a remote village in Kulithalai in Karur district.

Riding on two horses is not an easy task. But the filmmaker manages this with ease and elan – women empowerment and importance for farming.

Bankrolled by Sivakarthikeyan, the movie is about Kausalya aka Kausi (Aishwarya Rajesh) and her adorable dad Murugesan (Sathyaraj). Kausi is a passionate cricket-lover since her childhood. When her father breaks down after India loses a match, Kausi resolves to become a cricket player and wins matches to make her father happy.

She joins a local local cricket team. But has plenty of hurdles to clear. Her mother is conservative and desperately stops her from playing with boys in the locality. But Kausi is determined to achieve her mission.

Meanwhile things go bad for Murugesan as drought and poor crop yield land him in severe debts. Thanks to her dad’s encouragement, Kausi takes a giant leap to be named in probables for Team India’s World Cup squad.

She vows to achieve big and makes sure she bails out dad of all his troubles. There is an extended cameo by Sivakarthikeyan as coach for Indian team, reminding one of Kabir Khan of Chakde India.

All credits to Aishwarya Rajesh. A challenging role pulled off well by her. From a mother of two in Kaaka Muttai to Kanaa, Aishwarya has come a long way with conviction and courage. She is the pivot around whom the movie revolves.

From getting her body language right to play a cricketer to a rural girl fighting all odds to make a mark in her chosen profession, she excels. She breathes life into her role. Sathyaraj as a supportive dad and a disgruntled farmer desperate to save his crops is right there holding the movie together.

The cricket match sequences were shot close to reality and the background score has supported the movie quite well. Three cheers to music director Dhibu Ninan Thomas. Though a few dialogues sound a little preachy, Kanaa still is an entertaining fare.