You may no longer believe in Santa Claus, but there is still good reason to believe in Aamir Khan.
With Dangal, Aamir plays Santa and brings us movies buffs a gift that is the prefect mix of drama, emotion, adrenaline and heart.
The Nitesh Tiwari-directional tells the story of Mahavir Singh Phogat, a national-level wrestiling champion, who overcomes failure and channels his fierce ambition into training his daughters to win accolades in the sport.
Phogat and his daughters have a thormy path ahead of them. The battle lines are clearly drawn, between a society that ridicules Phogat for letting his daughters play a manly sport and its skilled sporspersons as much as it is about the daav-pech of it not been for the magical performances.
Aamir has garnered a reputation for being an actor who brings credibility and sincerity to any project that he associates himself with. And once again, he gives it his all, as he breavely surrenders to the character of Mahavir Singh Phogat without letting his star aura get in the way of a delectable, realistic portrayal.
Aamir’s physical transformation is well-documented, as we see him gp from a young and lean wrestler who decimates his opponents, to a stout, middle-aged man who has to wrestle with his own emotions in order to balance his tough taskmaster act with the loving father the loving that he is.
Debuants Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra, who play Geeta and Babita phogat, deliver stunning performances. The authentically choreographed wrestling sequences allow viewers to undertake an immersive journey into the lives of these two incredible women, who defy all odds to attain their goals.
Zaira Hasim and Suhani Bhatnagar, who play the young Geeta and Babata respectively, are impeccable and hold the fort for the major part of the first-half- without ever letting the film’s 160-minute runtime get to us.
Sakshi Tanwar, the gifted actress who plays their mother, manages to hold her own even with our elf-eared Aamir in the same frame. From her authentic Haryanvi accent to the ease with which she dials up the emotional quotient, it is refreshing to see her outside of the daily soap diya jalao-diya bujhao circus.
Dangal has a clear message: if geven a chance and kept away from the chulha-chawka routine, women can be as if not better than, men in any field of their choice.
To thing if Dabang as Sultan 2.0 just because both films deal with the same sport would be like assuming that Virat Kohli and Kunal Kohli are brothers, simply because they share a surname.
Dangal may not be entirely free of mainstream contrivances but these are few and easy to forgive. The film’s terrific ensemble cast( which includes the delightful Girish Kulkarni and the earnest Aparshakti Khurana) and the way the screenplay and music melt into each other only serve to add to its appeal.
Bollywood did inded save its best for the very end. Bid farewell to 2016 on a good note with Dangal, which does a fabulous job of showcasing an inspiring story that is definitely wouth telling. I give it 4.5 QUINTS out of 5.