It's not very often that a movie which contains nothing related to death or separation moves people to tears. Dangal is a miracle in its own right. A movie about an ex-wrestler who wants his daughters to win gold for the country - that's how Dangal can be defined in simple terms. However, what is not so simple is the way the movie brings every emotion out of you, making you laugh, cry and get inspired.
Not getting too much into the plot – for it is the real life story behind the famous Phogat Sisters – the film can be analyzed for its techniques and acting. Aamir Khan as usual shines with his brilliant portrayal of Mahavir Singh Phogat. His body transformation and his eyes speak for his skills. When we watch an Aamir Khan's film, at the end, all that leaves us gasping is his incredible acting. In the case of Dangal, on the other hand, it is the mind-blowing girls (both the young and older versions of Geeta and Babita) who leave us speechless.
Beginning from their attitude to their wrestling scene portrayals, these young girls overshadow even Aamir's performance. Kudos to the casting team for bringing out such great talents! The writers, Nitesh Tiwari and others, are the heroes behind the screen. The subtle yet powerful dialogues with zero exaggeration and "filmy" elements hit the right mark. They are humorous, realistic, motivating and poignant. The thumping background music and songs complement the flow of the movie.
Despite these, Dangal has a major flaw as it tries to cope up with Aamir's huge stardom by making Mahavir Singh Phogat the right man at all times, a man without whom his daughter is nothing. When she fails, it's because she doesn't follow his methods. When she succeeds, it's only because of him. Why can't a woman have her own intelligence? Is it because it's "Aamir" who is instructing her? These questions invoke skepticism. Yet, Dangal finely escapes these pitfalls because at the end, however it may be, we want Geeta to win and nothing else.
Overall, Dangal brings out the Indian in you and of course, the female angst in girls for what the real Geetha and Babita have done could never get lost in Indian history!
Rating: 4/5
