Dangal is one of those few films that discuss strategy and technique in a manner that's easy and entertaining to grasp. I am not familiar with the sport but by climax point, I could predict the winning move because of how well it was spelt out on earlier in the story. What evokes sheer awe though is the raw, rough, visceral choreography of the fights, quite a few memorable ones in this 161-minutes long film. The first ever between a young Geeta and a boy at local dangal and the final two at Commonwealth games, where she faces tough competition from Nigeria and Australia respectively. Aggression wears itself attractively in these scenes wearing a real-time quality even as our support for the Phogats amplifies. Sport is at its centre but the essence of Dangal lies in the simple highs and lows of the people Tiwari chronicles.


The definitive Dangal review. Sukanya Verma for Rediff.com. Read it here.