Dec 25, 2016

Dangal - Stunning, brilliant and soul-stirring!

"The more you sweat in peace, the less you bleed in war." - Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf.

The trailer made sure that we view Dangal in the first week of release itself. Haanikarak bapu and his dhaakad chhoriyaan tell a story so stunning, that you are moved!

The story begins with one Mahavir Singh Phogat from a village in Haryana, who is one of many Indian sportsmen who has accepted defeat at the hands of family responsibility and reality of sportsperson's future. Despite being skilled and dedicated, he accepts a life where he does a 9 to 6 job. He hopes that his yet to be born son will get him and India a gold medal in wrestling. His hopes are dashed when he has 4 daughters in a row.

A physical fight between his daughters and a village boy opens his eyes. He becomes their wrestling coach. He changes their lifestyle, kills their dreams of normal life, kills their childhood, by imposing rigorous discipline on them. A loving and quiet father transforms into a possessed and fiery tyrant.

SPOILER ALERT! 

The girls see the light when one of their friend tells how girls are mistreated as a burden and the responsibility shirked off at first possible opportunity like child marriage. That transforms the girls too.

Rest, as they say, is history. The story speaks about the tension, the sacrifice and the dedication that champions are made of.

To overcome odds, Mahavir keeps increasing the stakes, like making his girls wrestle with male wrestlers. Like taking on entire society by training his girls.

I am reminded of the chapter "10,000 hours rule" from Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers. An outlier these girls are, their father only creates those 10,000 hours for them.

The movie never lets you off the intense vise-like grip of the wrestlers in the movie. The father, played by Aamir Khan, Geeta Phogat, played by Fatima Sana Shaikh and Babita Phogat, played by Sanya Malhotra, are brilliant. So are those playing side roles of Sakshi Tanwar as mother, Girish Kulkarni (as the jealous and bureaucratic coach) and their first cousin (I don't know his name).

And don't forget, the kids who played Geeta and Babita. They are mesmerizing.

In short, the movie is brilliant. Take your kids for sure, for they need to know what perseverance is. In Sanskrit, तपश्चर्या !

Baba Rancho's words in 3 Idiots resonate , "Don't worry about success, just ensure excellence!"

Do see this song.... This, the real Mahavir Singh Phogat, the Haanikarak Bapu transformed and revolutionized our nation by training his daughters and inspiring thousand more Geeta and Babitas!

Its a true story of Geeta Phogat and Babita Phogat.




No comments:

Disclaimer

All the opinions expressed are of the author only. Any action taken by readers on the basis of this blog is entirely at the readers' risk and they are solely responsible for the same.
Powered By Blogger