EntertainmentPosted at: Apr 15 2026 5:11PM

Pragabhal's ‘Jockey’ is the exploration of the dynamic between trainer and animal

Anand Venkitachalam
New Delhi, Apr 15 (UNI) Set against the dusty, charged arenas of Madurai, filmmaker Pragabhal's high-octane sports-drama ‘Jockey’ turns its gaze on the age-old Tamil sport of 'Kidaai Muttu', a traditional goat-fighting sport that has long remained unseen beyond pockets of Tamil Nadu.
The film follows Ramar and Kapra Karthi, played by Yuvan Krishna and Ridhaan Krishnas respectively, whose rivalry in the field of goat fighting spirals into something far more consuming than competition, drawing from a world where pride, identity and instinct collide.
The film was released on January 23, 2026, and has been consistently trending on Amazon Prime Video’s Top 10 since its release.
Speaking to the United News of India, the filmmaker, explaining his choice of this curious backdrop, said it came from a place of observation rather than symbolism.
'Kidaai Muttu', he said, is deeply rooted in the region’s history and continues to hold a sense of thrill for local communities. What stood out was not just the spectacle, but the exploration of relationship between trainer and animal, a dynamic shaped by trust, discipline and emotional investment.
Explaining his reasoning for picking the backdrop, he said it was as simple as it got; to bring visibility to this traditional, and largely obscure sport to a wider audience.
The film leans into the intensity of the sport, capturing both its ritualistic energy and the emotional stakes tied to it. There is a conscious effort to introduce 'Kidaai Muttu' to audiences unfamiliar with it, particularly its cultural context and the bond between a trainer and his goat.
Despite seeming reflections of other themes, Pragabhal maintained that the core impulse was to tell a story rooted in a world he found compelling.
That connection traces back to a personal encounter. A visit to a local arena in Madurai became the starting point, where witnessing a live 'keda sandai' (rural goat fight) revealed the extent of influence a trainer holds over the animal’s performance, as well as the emotional undercurrents running through the sport.
The result which followed was not an immediate production, but a gradual process which unfolded over time, with three years of rigorous preparation being put in, involving actors, goats and trainers, to authentically inhabit the space.
While ‘Jockey’ unfolds within a culturally specific setting, it resists being framed strictly as social commentary. Instead, it focuses on what happens after the spectacle — the aftermath of defeat, the weight of public humiliation and the impulse to reclaim lost honour.
In that cycle, the film situates its conflicts, suggesting that violence is not an endpoint but something that sets further consequences in motion.
Looking ahead, there are early conversations around revisiting and expanding on the subject, as a sequel remains a possibility, said Pragabhal, though plans are yet to be finalised.
'Jockey' is Pragabhal's second directorial venture, after 'Muddy', which was based on the sport of off-road mud racing, made in 2021.
‘Jockey’ is produced by Prema Krishnadas, with cinematography by C. Udhayakumar, editing by N.B Srikanth ('Aaranya Kaandam'), sound design by National-award winner Rajakrishnan M.R ('Rangasthalam', 'Animal') and an original score by Sakthi Balaji.
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