Dangal was one of the most awaited movies of 2016 and it turns out to be one of the best movies to have been released in Bollywood this year.
Dangal is inspired by the true story of India's first woman wrestler who won a gold medal for India in international competitions at the Indian Commonwealth Games in 2010. But this us not just her story, but also her father, Mahavir Singh Phogat's, story who trained his daughters to wrestle. The movie is just awesome as it tells the tale of all the hardships that they faced in their journey and most of the times in a humorous way. But do not think that the movie is humorous. The humour is used very effectively in the movie and helps in easing out the serious narrative. The movie runs at a fast pace and you cannot find any boring moments in the movie. The equation between the father and daughters has been shown very well and this is something which keeps you glued to the plot. However the best part of the movie are the wrestling sequences which have been choreographed and filmed so well that you get Goosebumps during those sequences, especially during the last 3 wrestling sequences. Credit should be given to the team for achieving this. The movie has turned out to be better than expected.
The entire cast of the movie has done spectacular job in bringing the characters to life. Amir Khan as always is very good and totally gives the feel of a wrestler and a father harbouring a dream. Sakshi Tanvar as Mahavir Singh Phogat's wife also lends credibility to the movie with a controlled performance. Fatima Sana Shaikh as Geeta Phogat has acted well and is superb in the wrestling scenes. Sanya Malhotra as Babita Phogat is also good, though she has a smaller role. The real stars of the movie are however the younger actors, Zaira Wasim and Suhani Bhatnagar who have played younger Geeta and Babita respectively. At this young age they have done an incredible job in not only acting but also in wrestling scenes.
This is Nitesh Tiwari's third movie as a director. His first movie as a director, Chillar Party, is really good and he had extracted good performances from the kids. No wonder he has done the same with the two young girls in this movie. Overall, his direction is superb, especially in the wrestling scenes. He is certainly one of the better directors we have.
The music of the movie really fits well into the narrative. The cinematography is great as it captures all the wrestling moves without confusing the audience. the dialogues are also well written. Overall this movie is spectacular in all the departments.
Everyone should watch this movie - be it with friends or family, to experience the euphoria of India winning the gold medal.
Rating - 4 / 5
