Paan Singh Tomar Movie Review

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

Kahaani Movie Review

Kahaani is a Bollywood Thriller Film Directed by Sujoy Ghosh who had earlier directed films like Jhankaar Beats, Home Delivery and Aladdin. Barring Jhankaar Beats, the other two have been box-office duds. With this film,he makes his foray into the thriller genre and makes a stunning comeback. Starring Vidya Balan in a role of a pregnant women searching for her missing husband in Kolkata, the film boasts of a great storyline and have been executed brilliantly.

The story begins with software engineer Vidya Bagchi (Vidya Balan), a seven months pregnant woman arriving in Kolkata from London, days before the Durga Puja. She is in search for her software engineer husband, Arnab Bagchi, who came to Kolkata with an assignment but suddenly gone missing. As she starts searching for her husband with help from the rookie cop Satyaki/Rana (Parambrata Chatterjee), she soon realizes that it wouldn't be easy. Arnab Bagchi just vanished in thin air, without any trace. To the city, her husband never existed. With extreme reserves of determination and resolve, Vidya Bagchi starts her own search through a cobweb of mysteries. 

The strongest point of this film is it’s story which is written by Sujoy Ghosh and Advaita Kala which is so intelligent and comprehensive that it makes the audiences sit up and admire the talent behind it.

The Screenplay by Sujoy Ghosh, Suresh Nair and Nikhil Vyas  is arresting and captivating as it doesn’t allows the viewer to take a breath. From the first scene to the last, the audience remains glued to the seats and the high suspense quotient makes it an edge of the seat thriller. But at the core, it is more than just a thriller as it deals beautifully with human emotions.  Cinematography by Setu is splendid as he captures the bylanes of Kolkata so realistically that it makes the film look all the more authentic. The crowded streets and the famous Durga Pooja Festival are all beautifully captured. Kolkata never looked so sexy. Editing by Namrata Rao is water tight binding the viewers for two hours. The Pace of the film is uniform throughout giving little bit clues in between leading to a spellbinding climax. I don’t remember when it was the last time when I was so thrilled and amazed by the climax of any movie.

Direction by Sujoy Ghosh is excellent and flawless. The film is for the intelligent and thinking audience and all credit goes to him. He doesn’t let go off even for a moment and has taken care of even the minutest detail. He is a master storyteller and shows his craft in this film which is his best work . Music by Vishal –Shekhar is awesome and provides a flavor of Kolkata. Although in the movie,there are only two songs ‘Aami Shotti Bolchi’ and ‘Ekla Chalo Re’, the soundtrack contains 3 more songs and all of them are soulful. Background Score by Clinton Cerejo is exceptional and heightens the impact of the tense moments and also increases the chill factor.

Now coming to the performances, Vidya Balan is the lifeline of the film. She sparkles the screen throughout and plays the role of a pregnant women with such perfection which no other actress can match. Her interactions with police inspector Rana/Satyuki played by Parambrata Chatterjee are excellent. The expressions of grief, eagerness and despair are well reflected through her performance. She emotes more from her eyes and her dialogue delivery is impeccable. Expect another National Award for the talented actress. Parambrata Chatterjee as Rana is a natural and restrained.  His character evokes sympathy from the audiences. Bob Biswas played by Saswata Chatterjee is chilling and interesting. His Character evokes dark humour. Nawazuddin Shah as Khan, a ruthless IB Officer is apt and does a fine job. All the other supporting cast have done a good job.

Kahaani is a perfect example of a thriller with an emotional layer with a brilliant story, skilful direction, awesome performances, haunting music and a nail biting climax. The film is flawless in all respects and is a landmark film in Bollywood. A Masterpiece!

Rating:5 Stars