"DANGAL - Making of the Medalists in "Wrestling of a Lifetime"

Rating: 9/10 (24 December 2016)

In a rural town of North India, what would possibly be the concern of a father of "four" young girls? Many would say earning sufficient sustenance and arranging dowry to get them married. Gratefully one such father was pondering over a different set of anxiety all together – "how to make world champions of his children".
"Dangal" (Wrestling Arena) is a sports-biographical drama based on the lives of Indian Wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat and his two daughters – Geeta and Babita, transpiring the events to their glory in Commonwealth Games 2010.
Opening up in the dusty arena of the mud-slapping "desi-pehalwaans" (wrestlers) with the pulsating title-track, where Mahavir Singh (Aamir Khan) himself prepared his way to become the national champion in Freestyle Wrestling. Due to financial constraints he gave up his sport to earn bread-and-butter; although, he refused to give up on his dream to win an international Gold for India. He wished to raise his son to such stature; little did he know that he would only be blessed with daughters, thus, a bane for his dream.
Until he discovered that even they possess the stamina and the spark of a wrestler. Thus, with a new found belief he began the training of the young 'Phogat Sisters' (Zaira Wasim and Suhani Bhatnagar), marked with much resistance and hindrance from the wee kids, their mother and the society, in general. The endurance of severe nerve-wracking months began under their father's coaching as Geeta and Babita scaled fields, heaved through push-ups, beaten down in sparring by their frailish cousin brother and cried their eyes out as they begged to not chop off their hair – all to no avail.
Till, one day they realized how fortunate they have been to be raised unlike other girls who are married off at an early age or merely shoved into the "chuhlah-chaukah" (kitchen) of their homes; motivating enough to make them into better wrestlers, upto the mark that they jostled their way to national championships and international team selections.
Even as the adult - Geeta and Babita (Fatima Sana Shaikh, "Chachi 420"; and Sanya Malhotra) had miles to cover. The journey ahead for them was marked with egotism, training disarray and self-doubts, " wrestlers aren't made overnight. They have to be tended and cared for a lifetime." Indeed, the bout had only begun. What's remarkable is that even on covering a plethora of topics bordered by societal norms of male-favouritism, disfavor to sports and discriminating girls, it doesn't lose a beat and neither time. It's almost surprising to see such level of fine and crisp editing (Ballu Saluja, "Lagaan") which not just puts the perspective, but even the narrative right. The cinematography (Sethu Sriram, "OMG – Oh My God") is a plus, along with the most blending of scores (Pritam, "Barfi!") produced in recent times.
Aamir Khan is, as well-known, a natural performer and could be easily moulded out of his star-persona. He possesses a master control and gumption in his style, which is almost too simplistic, yet brilliant.
However, the real "hero" is the National Award recipient Writer- Director, Nitesh Tiwari ("Chillar Party", "Bhootnath Returns") who has not only drawn career-best performances from the likes of Aamir Khan and stars, but at the same time portrayed a universal-story of human endeavor, spirit and triumph without losing the vision of wrestling, as it is.
Even with some creative liberties, such was the environment within the theatre that my co-viewers were jumping and cheering from their seats for the recreated matches. I found myself joining in and stood fervently, when the National Anthem was played for that Gold for India.
Dangal is undoubtedly a rare and sparkling gem of Indian and World Cinema, alike. If not already, please do watch at the earliest.
A revered 9/10.