Dangal - "Dumm-Gals"

Rating: 8/10 (23 December 2016)

This movie bearing semblance to the triplet (Alphabet D "Dhoom 3", Aamir Khan and Pritam) stands out in every frame invoking our lost cherishment of Hindi cinema. Films on Sports, women-centric themes or jingoism have drawn flak from a certain section of the society or the masses due to their biased / judgmental approach to the screenplay. Movies generally exercise many cinematic liberties and cliché that make or break the BO, based on the movie's credentials. In case of Dangal, we get to experience an awesome alignment of production values, screenplay (deftly crafted), music (Pritam pitches to perfection) and artiste's performance (debutantes pull your heart strings!!). As was widely published, the movie is about a relentless father (erstwhile wrestler) who breeds his daughters to be wrestling champions to bring glory to the motherland (mind you, there isn't a slightest overture about "desh bhakti" barring the national anthem played In then end). The very premise of the story leaves a gamut of human sentiments to be kindled as per bollywood's formulaic studious, yet, Dangal restrains and sticks to its core theme – "sportsmanship is all about patience and perseverance, which are the biggest virtues of life too". Director, less-known for churning blockbusters (no offense intended), this time has struck gold with his tactical treatment of the subject with no submission to any sort of emotional outbursts or commercial compromises. Be it the childhood clutches of the wrestling-sisters, the dramatic episodes in the Sports Academy, the untold emotions between baap- beti, the euphoric display of the wrestling ring, or the tears of triumph which trickle down (the eyes of the artistes and audience alike), every sequence is laced with indelible dialogues, unique expressions, underplayed stardom and subtle transition in the characters. To mince matters, as the film industry draws curtains to 2016, it's a sheer pleasure to watch the "teen sisters" hit "sixes" in this unparalleled portrayal of WOO(Window Of Opportunity)MEN POWER!!...