Director's Desk

The day has come, Friday turned deeper, and box office drew intellects who has some understanding & respect for cinema. Undisputed perfectionist of Indian Cinema Mr. Aamir Khan is up with his new venture Dangal a journey of a Mahavir Singh Phogat the famous wrestler and a father of international champion wrestler daughters Geeta and Babita.  Just after five months of Sultan, bombardment of almost similar subjects lost the interest from viewers. But it’s only Aamir Khan who has that credibility which sustained deeply into people’s mind. He has again proven his ability as Mahavir Singh Phogat, his dedication is visible in Dangal. He lived with pain, suffering and his own volition to win a gold medal for his country made another masterpiece which stays in heart.

Dangal is based on one time promising wrestler Mahavir Phogat’s daughter Geeta and Babita who won commonwealth game gold medal for India. The story is quite simple and straight but execution wasn’t that simple it has in depth detailing in each scene. We have already watched some mind blowing wrestling stunt in #Sultan but Dangal is altogether different from that whether its emotion or stunt. I have never seen this kind of clean wrestling in cinema. It never seems as stunt to me, I was enjoying full fledge wrestling of Geeta Phogat which looks so original that it almost takes you to the real world of Sports.

Dangal reaches the label on can expect from Mr Aamir Khan but Mr. Director Nitesh Tiwari did fantastic job and give total justice to this. From the first frame it holds a grip of storytelling very comfortably showing the societal dissidence, the heartbreaking jibes and a winning spirit of a father who comes out even more tougher. Although Aamir is in a lead but wrestling is real protagonist. Almost 169 mins long film is actual hero, it’s the film who acted, who sung and won hearts. In Sultan Salman Khan dominates with heroism but Dangal spins its own wheel and all the casts are just the supporting elements.

Fatima Sana Shaikh as Geeta Kumari delivers a strong performance, she is beautiful, elegant and tough. Her fight was sheer treat, it is enjoyable, original and realistic. Amitabh Bhattacharya writes brilliant words I love the background score and lovely camera work.

In one word Dangal is a movie for Indian Women who stood for nation and inspiration of Sakshi Malik. A very bold step taken by Mahavir Phogat and his daughters definitely heat ups our traditional method.

Poorly crafted, seems deliberately enacted with marketing strategies. It is too lighter than the gruesome truth that Punjab is facing. In this documentary cum episodic plot I kept my mobile on and scrolled it just to avoid being repetitive.  I am thinking if Mr. Nihlani has given this film a smooth go then what would have been the fate?  This movie is not worth of all the hype which was rigorously circulated by the media. Why Mr. Nihlani gave-away the much practisized tools to the makers, who already knew that #Udtapunjab will squat just after its release, but controversies draws attentions yet it’s still unable to create buzz in people’s mind. I was sitting in the vacant theatre, rolling my thoughts up and down, frequently pulling the bathroom door, spraying the commode, styled my moustache, refraining myself to enter the screening room but when I managed to set-in, the similar plots were showering…. What the “F” ?

The problem is not only to understand situation of Punjab but in a more vigorous way it lies being an aficionado of International Cinema, when it comes to characterization it becomes so unrealistic where you couldn’t possibly attach a bit with it… unwanted madness, lame graffiti of society, still fearful to reach in-depth. This is certainly not a Chaubey’s style of filmmaking he was surely under the influence of those cinemas like Requiem for a dream. This must have thrived his mind so badly that the result was pathetic, far away from the core facts.

For that matter just take a character of Tommy (Shahid) a singer, he is extremely volatile, boorish, turbulent, drawn by cocaine, suddenly gets enlightened in police cell and throw lectures during his show. When u keenly observes this entire episode, you got amazed that there is no SEX exists in the so-called drug ghettos. The minute your thought goes minus sex, you lost the way then and there. The wildness of drugs are very much proportionate to sex and women.

I have no intention to write its storyline, because it’s again a torture. Different-2 characters placed into circumstantial conditions, moving along with director’s demand not by their own merits. Exercising with ongoing situations and finally they all gathered like Priyadarshan’s climax. The End.

But there are some “Aha’ moments like Shahid’s performance was remarkable, I love the way Alia spoke in Bihari slangs, her efforts were visible. Kareena Kapoor looks old and pitty, Diljit was very natural and I must say he left his presence.

It’s a very melodramatic film, relying totally on editing but sometimes those cuts were so sharp that left you empty handed. After all very edgy cuts it’s a very lengthy film and if you want to know the Punjab’s problem in a superficial way then go and watch.