Paan Singh Tomar is an Indian Biopic based on the true story of an athlete ‘Paan Singh Tomar’ employed by the Indian Army who went on become a National Steeplechase champion, but later on was forced to become a notorious bandit. Directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia who made his debut with ‘Haasil’, a political drama which won him immense critical acclaim, this time he goes a notch above it and delivers his career best work. Irrfan Khan essays the role of Paan Singh Tomar while Mahi Gill plays the role of his wife.
The film is about a man from Chambal village who joins Indian Army but soon is sent to participate in Indian National Games due to his great athletic skills. Though not interested in sports, he joins the sports division to curb his hunger as there were no limits on their diet. Soon he becomes a National Steeplechase champion and wins the gold medal for 7 years in a row. In 1962 and 1965 wars, he was not allowed to go as sportsmen were not allowed to fight in war which makes him frustrated. On the other side, a problem of illegal acquisition of land by Bhanwar Singh, his relative arises .Paan Singh retires from army to settle issues amicably but Bhanwar Singh attacks his family. Paan Singh then goes to the police to seek their help but no one comes to his rescue forcing him to turn into a rebel.
The Film captures the journey of Paan Singh from 1950’s to 1981 till he is shot dead in Police firing. Tigmanshu Dhulia shows his expertise by making a biopic so real and authentic that it makes the audiences marvel at his genius. From the locations in the villages creating an era of 1950’s to the local language and costumes, everything is perfect. A lot of research and detailing has been gone into making this film which clearly shows on screen. He has also written the script himself which is hard hitting and attention grabbing to say the least. He has shown the major events and occurrences in the life of Paan Singh Tomar in a very interesting yet realistic manner. Never does the drama go overboard in any scene. The dialogues ranges from quirky and witty to emotional and hard hitting and the use of pure authentic ‘Bheehad’ language makes it more compelling and impactful. The Cinematography by Aseem Mishra is eye grabbing gloriously capturing the racing events in the first half and ravines of Chambal in the second half. Editing by Aarti Bajaj is very crisp holding together the entire film in a brilliant way. Background score by Sandeep Chowta is apt enhancing the overall impact.
After delivering outstanding performances in films like ‘Haasil’ and ‘Life in a Metro’, Irrfan takes on a most challenging role and delivers his career best performance. He is so aptly cast in this role that you cannot think of any other actor who could have performed it so perfectly. He is the soul of the movie literally. Be it his impeccable delivery of quirky one liner or displaying a lifetime of emotions through his eyes, he is bang on and excels in each and every scene. He races like a true athlete. This performance of his is among the finest performances of Indian Cinema. He truly deserves to win Filmfare and National Awards next year. Mahie Gill as his uneducated but brave wife is incredible and adapts to her character so realistically or should I say ‘rustically’ that it helps to elevate the scenes in which she appears. Her chemistry with Irrfan is electrifying. Brijindra Kala is effective as news reporter and evokes laughter in some scenes. All the other cast does a tremendous job and everyone looks their part.
On the whole, Paan Singh Tomar is a hard hitting and riveting biopic from the maverick filmmaker Tigmanshu Dhulia which motivates and inspires the audiences to respect athletes and should give a jolt to the Indian Government who should now take special care of them after watching this. This is the most authentic biopic made in Bollywood till date. Highly Recommended!
Rating: 4.5 Stars
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