Dangal is very special. Ultimate mix of technical film making and popular cinema

Rating: 9/10 (23 December 2016)

Dangal (9/10) is the kind of film for which the 70mm medium exists. It has universal appeal, is technically brilliant and more than anything else it is a film that skillfully balances popular sentiments and realism. It is going to reach tens of millions of people without having compromised the quality of storytelling.
An extraordinary story of some extraordinary people who not only conquered their fears but also a society which had the negativity to kill their dreams even before they were born.
If Chak De was a fine example of exemplary editing in a sports film and Pan Singh Tomar was an exceptional sports film with great depth and realism, Dangal would forever be remembered as one of the best Indian sports film for the sheer reach it will have. Wrestling is a fast paced technical sport. To make the whole thing look as authentic as it has looked in the film, it would have required some meticulous planning and extensive training and they have done it really well.
The fact that you feel the frustration that Mahavir Singh Phogat feels in the final scene and you along with the whole audience begins to clap after each of Geeta's winning bout as if there was a live game at display shows how supremely engaging the film is. One negative, though not significant enough to harm the film is that it has over dramatazied the narrative at the cost of slight misrepresentation of the facts.
Only if the majority of Indian film makers could realize that it is not impossible to make good cinema with popular appeal, we would start getting more than just a couple of Hindi films every year worth watching. Now is a good time to list Top Films from India in the Sports/Drama genre: 1)Paan SIngh Tomar 2)Dangal 3)Chak De India 4)Iqbal 5)Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander 6)Lagaan 7)Bhaag Milkha Bhaag