Another Good Aamir Khan film And Based On The True Story Of Mahavir Phogat.

Rating: 8/10 (10 November 2017)

I have seen many good Aamir Khan films and this could be among his best ones. But I think my favorite is still Taare Zameen Par because it deals with a wide spectrum of problems faced by mentally challenged individuals in society.
Plot: Mahavir Singh Phogat (Aamir Khan) is a former amateur wrestler and national champion based in Balali, a village in Haryana. He was forced by his father to give up the sport in order to obtain gainful employment. Dejected that he could not win a medal for his country, he vows that his unborn son will. Disappointed upon having four daughters, he gives up hope. But when his older daughters Geeta and Babita come home after beating up two boys in response to derogatory comments, he realises their potential to become wrestlers and begins coaching them.
His methods seem harsh, including grueling early morning workouts and short haircuts to avoid lice. Despite facing backlash from the villagers, he goes ahead with them, training them in his makeshift mud pit. Initially, the girls resent their father for his treatment but soon realise that he wants them to have a good future and not grow up to be stereotypical housewives. Motivated, they willingly participate in his coaching. Mahavir takes the girls to wrestling tournaments where they wrestle with boys and defeat them. Unable to afford wrestling mats, he uses two layers of mattresses and trains them in freestyle wrestling to prepare them for competitive events. Geeta goes on to win the junior and senior championships at the State and national level before heading to the National Sports Academy in Patiala to train for the forthcoming Commonwealth Games.
Verdict: acting, direction, photography, background sound-effects and music of the film is superbly executed. Nitesh Tiwari who made his directorial debut by co-directing Chillar Party (2011) which won the National Film Award for Best Children's Film for that year, directs Dangal with an extremely innovative approach. He makes us feel we are in the middle of the film.
Similar films to watch: Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar(1992), Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India(2001), Iqbal(2005), Apne(2007), Irudhi Suttru(Tamil 2014) and remake Saala Khadoos(Hindi 2016).
Thanks for reading my review, live long and prosper.