Mahavir Singh Phogat (Aamir Khan) flips and slams down his challenger in an office-friendly and then tells him “don’t feel bad; you lost to a former national champion”.
That opening scene establishes the thumping flavor of Dangal for the next two and a half hours.
Through the narrow lanes of Bhiwani (recreated in the villages of Punjab and Haryana), the movie takes you on a journey of dreams, ambition, and persistence.
Clutch your heart tightly, because Dangal will tug at many levels.
This is not just about a father’s struggle to give his daughters equal opportunity. In fact, it is not, because Phogat actually wanted a son to make his dreams come true.
Director Nitesh Tiwari keeps the wrestling mat firmly in the centre of this sports drama that is based on the true story of the Phogat family. But the core really is at its wider rims – child marriage; gender bias; superstitions; the rule of patriarchy and general apathy towards sporting excellence in India.
Phogat, a former national champion, dreams of a son who will take forward his legacy. His desire for “Mhara betta” gets frustrated, when every time the midwife announces the birth of a girl - “Chorri hui hai”. After four girls, a disspirited Phogat lets go of his dream; but not for long. A chance discovery of lurking potential in his elder two daughters re-kindles the old desire. If his pre-teen girls could beat the neighborhood boys to pulp in a street brawl, then they should be able to wrestle too!
It’s a classic Carpe Diem moment.
What leaves you gasping is the audacity of Phogat’s ambition and the resoluteness with which he goes after his goal.
Arms folded over his massive chest and a blueprint in his formidable eye, he unleashes a slew of draconian measures on the young girls to make them champion wrestlers.
Ah, but they want no part of his dream.
How they scheme and resist is funny. How they are helpless in a rigidly patriarchic household is poignant.
Their mother (played by Sakshi Tanwar), is trapped. Who will marry our girls if they start wrestling? What will society say? How can I go against my husband? Indeed, questions that haunt most women in India.
The girls have no choice but to give in, and the training begins. Soon, they start enjoying local stardom with district-level wins. Gita, the elder of the two sisters has bigger things in store. Her journey from a local star, to state and national champion is tightly scripted in a lucid narrative of events, ruthless bouts, and victories.
Growing up also means a chance to go away. The simmering resentment against an authoritarian father fuels Gita's urge to break the shackles of discipline and routine. She leaves home to join the National Sports Academy in Patiala. Freedom at last! She grows her hair, paints her nails, gorges on food and enjoys the attention of male athletes at the Academy.
She also routinely loses all her international matches. No one tells you that freedom is a perplexing paradox.
For Gita, it's a painful coming-of-age experience. Her return to the old norm and affirmation of her father as her mentor makes for therapeutic viewing. Well, for parents at least. "Didn't we tell you so?"
With father now firmly back as coach, will his method and instruction help her to break her jinx at international competitions?
Nitesh Tiwari recreates every bout, match, and training routine faithfully. The excitement, and above all the patriotic fervor are palpable.
Mischief, anger, frustration, brawls, and bouts are also touchingly depicted and for this, the credit also goes to Zaira Wasim and Suhani Bhatnagar. These munchkins who play the younger Gita and Babita sisters hold their own against giant performer Aamir with aplomb.
Fatima Sana Shaikh as grown-up Gita could just be the find of the year. Every time you start gawking at her breathtaking beauty, she draws you in with her superior acting skills. Her svelte moves are poetry in motion; graceful, but never losing their athleticism.
Audiences love morals, messages and moments of truth. Dangal presents more than one in a finely woven mosaic of sport and story.
Above all, what audiences love most is to be told that great victories are savored after conquering great challenges.
Dangal scripts that victory with a high degree of fidelity and Aamir Khan as Mahavir Singh Phogat is its most faithful protagonist.
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