Film Review: Dangal

Dangal: Film Review

U; Biopic/Sports/Drama

Director: Nitesh Tiwari

Music Director: Pritam

Cast: Aamir Khan, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra, Sakshi Tanwar, Zaira Wasim, Suhani Bhatnagar

Rating: ★★★★

Touted to be the film of the year, Dangal (referring to the wrestling combats held at village 'akhadas')  chronicles the life of wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat (Aamir Khan) and his dogged pursuit of turning his daughters, Geeta (Fatima Shaikh) and Babita (Sanya Malhotra) to gold-medal winning international wrestlers. Desirous of begetting sons to carry forward his wrestling legacy, his hopes are reduced to dirt when his wife (Sakshi Tanwar) delivers four daughters. Phogat has his moment of epiphany when his daughters overpower and beat up a ruffian, and decides to model them to become wrestlers, much against the norms of the prevailing patriarchal society. 

Set in Haryana, the state with the most skewed sex ratio, the story could not have been better placed. Superficially, the movie might seem to be inclining towards the cause of women empowerment, but the highlight here is clearly the sport and the ambivalent daughter-father relationship, which resolves as the movie progresses.

Directed by Nitesh Tiwari (of Chillar Party and Bhootnath Returns fame), although the plot of the movie is based on a real-life incident, it has been fictionalised to suit the reel. Events have been altered, dramatised and even added. That apart, the movie does not see a glitch. The locales chosen are realistic and so is the language mouthed, reeking of a typical Haryanvi brusqueness.

The casting is the star of the film and you cannot imagine the characters being essayed by actors other than these, their stellar performances replicating the reality closely. Each of the characters shows different layers across myriad situations, making it virtually impossible to take your eyes off the screen for 160 minutes. Mr. Perfectionist clearly packs in a punch with this one, going from a well-proportioned megastar to a muscular - even potbellied - wrestler. None of the leading males could have fit the bill better. Khan's onscreen daughters (both the young, and the old) enthral with their blink-and-you-miss-it moves and stay true to their roles as wrestlers, acquiescing to their 'teacher's' wishes. The supporting cast is equally phenomenal - look out for Sakshi Tanwar portraying Phogat's wife and Aparshakti Khurrana playing Omkar, Phogat's goofy nephew excelling at tongue-in-cheek repartee.

The production steers clear from uncalled for dance sequences and stays true to storytelling. The background score (Pritam) lifts the gripping scenes in the movie and induces goosebumps. The lyrics penned by Amitabh Bhattacharya are in tune with the overall nature of the movie and do not seem lousy. As is characteristic of sports films in India, Dangal too has it's fair share of energetic, heavily-charged numbers to get the audiences' spirits soaring.

Being an Aamir Khan Productions venture, the film taps into a number of social issues, as was in the case of Taare Zameen Par or Peepli Live. One, the regressive attitude of viewing women as inferior or subdued, and their  participation in the 'male' sports arena. Secondly, the sorry state of affairs in the country, when it comes to sports (be it national, or international), replete with nepotism and scandals. That apart, with all the collective brilliance on display, this one is not to miss. Box Office pe dangal toh hoga!

Sameer Parmar