Movie: Dangal
Direction: Nitesh Tiwari
Cast: Aamir Khan, Sakshi Tanwar, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra
Music: Pritam
Cinematographer: Sethu Sriram
Editor: Ballu Saluja
Genre: Action, Biography, Drama, History, Sport
Rating: ∗∗∗∗½
What is it about: This film is a Biopic sports drama, which is based on Mahavir Phogat (Aamir Khan) who trains his daughters Geeta Phogat(Fatima Sana Shaikh/Zaira Wasim) & Babita Phogat( Sanya Malhotra/Suhani Bhatnagar) to become world class wrestlers with a dream of winning gold Medal for India. The film is directed by Nitesh Tiwari.
Why it’s disappointing: This section definitely stays put, as this will stand apart from all other films creating a benchmark.
What to watch out for: Nitesh Tiwari known for films “Chillar Party” and “Bhootnath” grew up to making an epic like “Dangal”. A film which will be on shelves of Fame for years to come and will become an example for many aspiring filmmakers. The film’s notion is kept intact with no adulteration or compromises by the director. When a filmmaker goes in to extensive research in making one, and executes it with great detailing is when he completes the equation.
Casting plays a major role in making the film a successful one, and if not chosen well it brings down the well laid screenplay to its feet. In “Dangal” it was gifted with beautiful talents co-ordinated by Casting Director Mukesh Chhabra.
Zaira Wasim who plays the young Geeta Phogat balances the innocence with a great maturity, which makes you applaud for her with utmost joy. She was perfect and brought the audience to relate to her endurance she went through. And that was perfectly matched by Suhani Bhatnagar who plays the young Babita Phogat, she was enthusiastic and quite a witty one.
Then there’s the grown-ups, Fatima Sana Shaikh as Geeta Phogat. She is a beauty who brings a great aura to the character and a talent not to be forgotten. She shines through the second half and lays a great foundation for her in the industry. Commendable is an understatement.
Sanya Malhotra as Babita Phogat. One may say she was shadowed, I would say she was the light which beams on the “Phogat’s”. A great talent who seems silent but makes a great impact with her performance.
And then the man of the hour Aamir Khan as Mahavir Singh Phogat. It’s hard to find a star of his calibre who sits behind and let the girls take the limelight and he did that with utmost grace. Aamir is an actor who is a rarity in Bollywood and always creates a benchmark in terms of performance and box office collection. He played the role to its finest and the scenes involving the Father-Daughter emotions leaves a lump in your throat. Once again he proved, why he’s a perfectionist.
The best part of the film was the supporting cast who were spectacular and that starts with Sakshi Tanwar as Daya Kaur, she was the perfect choice. And there this character “Krishna Singh Phogat” the younger version and the grown up version both were played well by the respective actors. And finally Girish Kulkarni as the Coach, was apt.
The cinematography by Setu was delectable who made every frame a delight to watch, he kept the tone to its best. And Ballu Saluja’s editing was engaging and doesn’t dull out for even for a moment. Finally Pritam delivers a composition which was great at all notes with a gripping background score.
Verdict: Nitesh Tiwari definitely surprised everyone with his impeccable taste for cinema, which will be inspirational to many. He kept sanctity of the relationships unadulterated with a perfect eye for detail. The blend was a whiff of a fresh air, making Dangal one of the finest in 2016 and most of all Indian Cinema. Please do yourself a favour and catch this film at a cinema near you.
