Hats off to Tigmanshu Dhulia for telling a story that needs to be told and for telling it so beautifully, sparing no effort or creativity. If we had a film awards authority that recognised talent, Dhulia and Irrfan would be at least as well-known as all the very self-important celebs whose PR machinery works overtime. Dhulia’s direction is a lesson in squeezing out maximum impact for the producer’s money and Irrfan is simply the best actor in the country today.
The film itself is a dramatised account of the life of Paan Singh Tomar - an athlete who became an outlaw. Why would a national treasure become an outlaw is a question the film answers. Like Paan Singh says in the film, he became a well-known face only when he became an outlaw. The mediocre and the greedy rule the world of the famous clearly, in every aspect of India. The film is narrated in flashback, when a journalist takes an interview of Paan Singh the well-known dacoit. But as Paan Singh retorts, dacoits are in parliament whereas he, himself is a rebel - a "baaghi".
Starting with the time Paan Singh joined the army as a jawan, the narration traces out this remarkable life. Irrfan’s ageing in the film is authentic and believable - he starts off as a skinny clean-shaved boy in uniform and ends up a weather-beaten but physically fit, pepper-haired man. The simple-minded innocent who wants to join sports in the army so that he can eat all he wants, evolves first into a sportsman who takes pride in his achievements and then into a frustrated civillian who can’t get the corrupt system to protect his family from his land-grabbing cousin. Irrfan Khan is a mind-blowing actor. That is the most significant of the many differences between him and the famous khans of bollywood.
Besides him however, there are a host of talented actors in this film. There does not seem to be a role so small that it has not been cast and performed perfectly. Brijendra Kaala as the nervous journalist, Mahie Gill as the wife, the corrupt inspector who I thought put in a stellar performance.even an old man who heckles the journalist and has about 2 lines in the film. Perfectly cast! Add to this the authenticity of the environment. Rustic India, the ravines of Chambal and the environs of an army recruit - all are captured competently. This makes every shot in the film believable.
In the end, Dhulia dedicates the film to the unsung heros of Indian sports and names a few who were left penniless after all their achievements. It is nice to see something worthwhile getting its due from someone.
A welcome change from the tiresome cliches one endures after reading about all the effort famous actors put into their roles. This film must be made on the PR budgets of movies like Ra-one. If the director or hero took a sabbatical because they were so "mentally and physically exhausted" during the making of the film, we are yet to hear about it in the tabloids. Hope to see more such films that don’t leave you feeling cheated about the time and money spent.