(Reviewed 4/5 on letterboxd in Dec 2016)
Bollywood has clearly found a liking for sport biopics. Ever since Chak De India (2007), there have been a spate of films on this theme. I haven't watched all of them but I will not be surprised if Dangal is perhaps the only worthy successor to Chak De.
Now, Bollywood loves melodrama and jingoism, so much so that it will turn to these emotions even if not intended at the beginning. SRK's Kabir Khan, who at the beginning of Chak De is shown driven to take revenge against the ignominy suffered during his playing days, finally gets his ambition reduced to ultra-patriotism. Similarly in Dangal, we have Aamir's Mahavir Phogat determined to have his daughters fulfill his ambition of winning a gold medal, not as a personal ambition but for the country. He even tries to explain the importance of winning gold to his daughter on the eve of the final of the Commonwealth games, explaining the influence she would have on the condition of women in India. He says this after making the more important point of striving for the best and not settling for the second best as is often observed in Indian sports. The prior dialogue is an unrealistic moment in the screenplay, typically introduced in Bollywood films to give a social message. It is a peculiarity of Bollywood films that I have learnt to ignore over the years.
What is it then that works in this fim; first of all the depiction of the trials and tribulations of the Phogat girls, fighting all patriarchal prejudices and inculcating extreme self-discipline as they develop into national level wrestlers. This was an aspect that we did not get to see in detail in Chak De.
The fight against the personal demons of the principal characters is perhaps better delineated in Chak De compared to Dangal. SRK's Kabir Khan is clearly better fleshed out compared to Aamir's Phogat who relies more on his physical transformation than his acting prowess. The other principal characters, especially the girls, are competent enough in their portrayals and evoke strong reactions through their performances.
The wrestling sequences are well shot, making the sport of women's wrestling appear as tough as it actually is. The fight scene between the wrestler father and daughter is devastating to say the least. The scenes often give you a real time ringside view of the action, making your back twitch with anticipation.
The film to a great extent remains understated and focussed. The moments of comic relief are typical Bollywood but do not distract significantly from the plot. The songs are again similar; apart from the wedding song, none feels totally unnecessary to the narrative. The title track has this "Omkara" vibe to it which, to music director Pritam's credit, is a good song and works well for this movie. Case in comparison, it's way better than the annoyingly jingoistic Chak De India track.
Finally, Dangal like Chak De India has a strong connect to the audience due to the real life significance that these stories had on women's sport in India. I expect this film, like Chak De India, to be a landmark film for Bollywood.
