Dangal: A Film That Won More Than Just Medals

Dangal: When Discipline Becomes Destiny

There are films that entertain, films that inspire, and then there are films that quietly alter the conversation around what mainstream cinema can achieve. Dangal belongs to the last category. It is not a flawless masterpiece, nor is it beyond criticism, but it remains one of the most significant Hindi films of the last two decades. There is a reason why it became the highest-grossing Indian film of all time.

At its heart, Dangal is a simple story of a father determined to fulfil a dream through his daughters. What elevates it is not the wrestling, but the emotional wrestling within the family. Director Nitesh Tiwari understands that the real battle is against prejudice, social conditioning and self-doubt. The wrestling ring merely becomes the stage upon which these larger conflicts play out.

Aamir Khan deserves enormous credit for backing such a subject at the peak of his stardom. Gaining weight, shedding it, disappearing into the character of Mahavir Singh Phogat and allowing the story, rather than his own image, to take centre stage required conviction. This was not just another performance. It was a statement that commercial cinema could succeed without larger-than-life heroics. His vision in choosing the project deserves every bit of praise it receives.

The performances are uniformly excellent. Fatima Sana Shaikh and Sanya Malhotra bring grit and vulnerability to Geeta and Babita, while the younger actors make the early portions wonderfully authentic. Sakshi Tanwar, despite limited screen time, lends warmth and emotional balance to an otherwise demanding household.

Yet Dangal is not beyond criticism. The film occasionally simplifies complex family dynamics into convenient emotional victories. Mahavir's authoritarian parenting is largely justified by the narrative because success eventually follows. In reality, such relentless pressure can have very different consequences. The second half also leans heavily into familiar sports-film clichés, and the fictional rivalry with the national coach feels exaggerated merely to heighten dramatic tension. These cinematic liberties work emotionally but dilute the realism established earlier.

Even so, these shortcomings never overwhelm the film's strengths. The screenplay remains tightly constructed, the emotional beats land naturally, and the wrestling sequences are choreographed with remarkable authenticity. Above all, Dangal gave India something more valuable than a blockbuster. It made millions cheer for women athletes with the same passion traditionally reserved for male sporting heroes.

Viewed purely as cinema, Dangal may not be perfect. Viewed as a cultural milestone, however, it stands tall. It proved that stories rooted in conviction, sincerity and human resilience can travel across languages, cultures and continents.

Rating: 4.5/5

"Box office numbers may fade with time, but films that reshape society earn a victory no collection can ever measure."

Laapataa Ladies - A gentle reminder that the greatest revolutions begin not on the streets, but within the human heart.

Laapataa Ladies: Sometimes Losing Your Way Is the Only Way to Find Yourself

There are films that rely on stars to shine, and then there are films like Laapataa Ladies, where the story itself becomes the brightest star. Directed with remarkable sensitivity by Kiran Rao, this deceptively simple tale unfolds like a gentle breeze, carrying with it profound questions about identity, dignity and the place of women in a society bound by customs.

Set in rural India, the story begins with a case of mistaken identity, but what follows is far more than a comedy of errors. It becomes a quiet exploration of how countless women lose not just their names behind a veil, but often their dreams, voices and individuality. The brilliance of the screenplay lies in its refusal to preach. Instead, it allows ordinary people and everyday situations to reveal extraordinary truths.

Kiran Rao deserves immense credit for trusting simplicity. There are no exaggerated villains or melodramatic twists. The film reminds us that social change rarely arrives with loud slogans. It begins with small acts of courage, kindness and self-belief. Every character, however small, contributes to the larger picture of a society slowly learning to question traditions that have long been accepted without thought. The film celebrates education, empathy and independence without ever becoming a lecture, making its message all the more powerful because it emerges naturally from life's everyday moments.

The largely fresh cast delivers performances of astonishing honesty. Nitanshi Goel is a revelation as Phool, portraying innocence, resilience and quiet determination with remarkable grace. Pratibha Ranta brings warmth and confidence to Jaya, creating a character whose intelligence and courage linger long after the film ends. Sparsh Shrivastava beautifully captures the confusion and vulnerability of a young husband caught between tradition and humanity. Ravi Kishan, as the witty and compassionate police inspector, steals every scene he appears in, proving that humour and wisdom can coexist effortlessly. Chhaya Kadam, in a brief but memorable role as Manju Maai, embodies quiet resilience and reminds us that ordinary women often become extraordinary simply by refusing to surrender to circumstance.

India's decision to select Laapataa Ladies as its official entry for the Academy Awards was a recognition of the film's universal humanity. While its Oscar journey ended before the final nominations, its greatest achievement lies elsewhere. It touched audiences across cultures because its message transcends language and geography. Whether one lives in an Indian village or a bustling global city, the longing to be seen, respected and valued is universal.

Laapataa Ladies gently reminds us that the greatest journeys are not measured in kilometres but in self-discovery. Sometimes, getting lost is life's quiet way of leading us exactly where we were always meant to be. In an age where cinema often mistakes noise for impact, this film whispers timeless truths with grace and compassion, proving that stories rooted in humanity will always outlive spectacle.

"Some films entertain us for a few hours. Laapataa Ladies quietly changes the way we look at people, traditions and ourselves long after the lights come back on."

Animal - Roars with cinematic ambition but often loses its moral and emotional compass.

 Animal: When Spectacle Overpowers Substance

Few Hindi films in recent years have divided audiences as sharply as Animal. Directed by Sandeep Reddy Vanga, the film is undeniably ambitious in scale, technically polished, and anchored by a fearless performance from Ranbir Kapoor. Yet beneath its visual flair and thunderous background score lies a deeply problematic narrative that mistakes excess for emotional depth and often confuses toxicity with complexity.

At its core, Animal attempts to explore the fractured relationship between a son desperate for his father's approval and the emotional scars that shape his violent worldview. It is an intriguing premise, one that could have evolved into a nuanced psychological drama. Instead, the screenplay repeatedly abandons introspection in favor of prolonged action sequences, exaggerated machismo, and relentless displays of brutality. The result is a film that is emotionally loud but not always emotionally insightful.

The biggest flaw lies in its writing. Characters are often reduced to symbols rather than fully realized individuals. Women, despite being played by capable actors, exist largely to react to the protagonist's decisions, with limited agency of their own. Relationships are portrayed through domination, confrontation, and emotional manipulation instead of mutual understanding. While cinema need not present morally upright heroes, it bears the responsibility of offering enough context to distinguish psychological dysfunction from aspirational behavior. Animal frequently blurs that line.

Ranbir Kapoor delivers an extraordinary physical and emotional performance, committing completely to an intensely disturbed character. However, a great performance cannot compensate for a screenplay that repeatedly glorifies violence without adequately examining its consequences. The protagonist's actions often invite applause rather than reflection, creating a troubling ambiguity about what the film ultimately wishes to celebrate.

The film's length is another significant weakness. At over three hours, several sequences feel indulgent and repetitive. Moments intended to deepen character instead become exercises in self-indulgence, diluting the emotional impact. A tighter edit would have enhanced both the narrative and its psychological intensity.

Perhaps the film's greatest concern is its potential influence on younger viewers. Adolescents and impressionable audiences may interpret the protagonist's aggression, possessiveness, and hyper-masculinity as expressions of strength rather than manifestations of deep emotional trauma. Without sufficient moral or emotional counterbalance, the film risks romanticizing behavior that, in reality, leads to fractured relationships, abuse, and cycles of violence.

Technically, Animal excels in cinematography, music, action choreography, and production design. Yet cinema is ultimately measured not only by how powerfully it is made, but also by what it leaves behind in the minds of its audience. Animal succeeds as a spectacle but struggles as responsible storytelling. It is a film that sparks conversation, but not always for the reasons its makers may have intended.

Rating: 2.5/5. A technically accomplished but emotionally uneven film that sacrifices nuance for shock value, raising important questions about the stories modern cinema chooses to glorify.

    

Qarib Qarib Singlle!!

Qarib Qarib Singlle

An Unmissable Modern Day Realistic Romance!!

Review By Lt Col D Purushothaman Pillay (Retd)

A heartwarming urban-romance pitting mismatched, middle-aged loners who accidentally meet through a dating site, and then curiously make the decision to journey together on a cross-country caper, that unknowingly bonds them, as the events unfold. This endearing Tanuja Chandra romantic, Indi-road movie, depicts a dueling couple engaged in a reluctant and stuttering courtship that finds answers to their own chapters of loneliness in their lives.

QQS has elicited spectacular performances from the lead pair that comprises of the acclaimed "Master of Deadpan Expression" Irrfan Khan, as the lovable 'Vyogi' a lonely, prosperous, jobless poet in his 40s, with a history of failed relationships, and the talented Malayalam actress Parvathy Thiruvothu who makes a promising and impressive debut in Hindi as 'Jaya' a successful and busy career-woman in her mid 30s, lonely as she is unfortunately widowed after the untimely passing of her Army husband. They essay the main protagonists in this contemporary modern hook-up saga triggered by on-line dating, which leads them to address personal issues with urban loneliness and the need for companionship, that is felt by a big segment of lonesome aspirational, solitary souls that abound the Metros these days.

The charming Vyogi-Jaya duo, captivatingly takes us through a rollercoaster of emotions as they journey through Rishikesh, Alwar and Gangtok with its share of missed flights, wrong trains and catch-up taxi rides, as they retrace the past relationships and heartbreaks of Yogi. In this process they also revisit their own individual long lost  friendships and erstwhile heartthrobs and towards the end gain closure to those chapters of their life. It won't be right on my part to tell you how it ended, for that you must watch the movie to know what happens to the Vyogi-Jaya story.

Honestly however, everything cannot be perfect in human effort, so if there is any lament for me personally, it was the end which I felt was abrupt, tepid and not in pace with the rest of the story. Having said that, it has in no way detracted from the niceness one feels about the honest effort at storytelling, that QQS is all about.

The Cinematography of Eeshit Narain captures the soul of every frame he places his lenses in and Ghazal Dhaliwal's dialogues carries the story forward very meaningfully. I understand that this story was originally a play written a few years back by Director Tanuja's mother, Kamna Chandra, the talented writer who had also among other stories written  '1942 A Love Story'.

Finally, this movie is bound to strike a chord with the burgeoning numbers of movie-lovers and city-loners,  for the soulful  "Jaane De" rendition by Atif Aslam in the final song in Gangtok, wherein the protagonists find closure to their pasts and look forward to their future, with those  evocative lyrics penned by Raj Shekhar, set to the music by the old maestro Anu Malik, it brought tears to my eyes. The movie couldn't have been summarised any better than this. It goes like this...

Woh Jo Tha Khwabh Sa Kya Kahein Jaane De

Yeh Jo Hain Kam Se Kam Yeh Rahein Ke Jaane De....

......Behtar To Yeh Hota  Hum Mile Hee Na Hotein, Magar Jaane De

Aadatan To Sochenge Hota Yun To Kya Hota, Magar Jaane De

Woh Jo Tha Khwab Sa Kya Kahein Jaane De....

(Oh am in tears as I type this note...please listen to this song you will love it. It is the perfect coming together of the story, melody, lyrics, music, and voice. It touches the soul.)

Watch Qarib Qarib Singlle if only to witness a deftly crafted story handled with sensitivity and realism, embellished with the stellar act from Irrfan Khan and the spectacular debut of a star of the future Parvathy, who effortlessly essayed a difficult character. This movie will tug at your heartstrings and leave you with a lump in the throat and in happy tears towards the end. And not many movies have been able to do that in recent memory! Since it is a review and numbers are a must, just for the record I would give it 4 on 5 for the honesty, performance and the soul in the story. Kudos Team QQS I am already looking forward to your next story!! Woh Jo Tha Khwabh Sa....Nahin Jaane Denge Hum!!

I wholeheartedly recommend this brilliant movie. Go watch it this weekend!!

Special 26

Special Chabbis

Story of Five Striding Conmen Who Steal the Show!

Review By - Lt Col D Purushothaman Pillay (Retd)

An absolutely riveting heist film set in the 80s, inspired by the famous Opera House, Tribhuvandas Bhimji Zaveri, daylight robbery on 19 March 1987, in Bombay by a group of 26 people (they make up the 'Special 26' in the titular reference) posing as CBI sleuths, this Neeraj Pandey film is an absolute entertainer.

The plot opens to a scene dated 18 March 1987, where two conmen P K Sharma alias Sharmaji (Anupam Kher) and Ajay Singh alias Ajju (Akshay Kumar) posing as CBI Officers conduct a walk-in recruitment interview, before going into flashback. The excitement starts in New Delhi, with Ajay Singh purportedly from the CBI, making a phone call, asking for manpower assistance for a secret raid, from the Tughlak Road, Police Station where SI Ranveer Singh (Jimmy Shergill) agrees, only to be told to drive to a rendezvous to know where the actual raid would be conducted. Ajay then proceeds with his accomplices P K Sharma, Iqbal (Kishore Kadam) and Joginder (Rajesh Sharma) to the tryst, to marry up with the Police team, wherefrom they proceed to raid a corrupt Minister's residence. As anticipated, loads of cash and valuables were found, hidden in every imaginable crevice, including the Pooja room, in this sprawling mansion. They drive away with a mini-van load of loot. Here it is revealed that Ajay and his accomplices were a fake CBI team. The quartet then merge into the crowds to quickly disperse, by all manner of transportation, to their respective residences, scattered across the country at Jaipur, Chandigarh and Mumbai. The next morning expectedly nothing was reported in the press. This team had specialized in conducting raids only on people who have amassed ill-gotten wealth and therefore would never report their losses to the law enforcement.

Ranveer with his senior officer then meet the raided minister, who refuses to lodge any official complaint regarding the false raid, to save himself from being reduced to a laughing stock in his constituency, he however ensures that Ranveer and his colleague Shanti (Divya Dutta) are suspended for their irresponsibility. It is here we are introduced to Mr Tough Guy, the real CBI officer Wasim Khan (Manoj Bajpai). The disgraced Ranveer wants revenge and joins hands with Khan to go after the criminal quartet. The rest of the plot carries us through the Burra Bazar, Income Tax Raid in Kolkata by Ajay and gang, which finally gets reported only on the insistence of Khan, with an aim to spread panic in the minds of the conmen. It does serve to inspire the team to go for one final "Big Raid" which is also the climax of the movie. To carry the story to its climax, the CBI with the help of Ranveer mysteriously stumbles upon the criminal records of Sharmaji and immediately taps into his phone conversations with Ajay to manage to get some vital clues regarding the final heist in Bombay. They then do everything they can, to foil this raid. For the sake of keeping the suspense alive, and the fun of the movie intact, suffice it to say, the unexpected twist in the end, takes this movie to an altogether different high. It has to be seen, to be discovered.

I did feel this film, in which the two female characters, played by Kajal and Divya had precious little to do, had its small share of shortcomings. They definitely could have scripted a better way to ease their foot off the pedal once in a while, than for instance rely on the unnecessary romantic angle, which was tedious, unconvincing and a total waste of time. Except for the freshly bathed Priya Chavan's (Kajal Aggarwal) tulsi-watering introductory scene where she looked stunningly angelic, there was no sizzle in her chemistry with Akshay, to salvage something out of this love story. It however superfluously added to the 143 minute length of this movie, so did the long Manoj Bajpai introductory scooter chase through CP and the whole Chandigarh trip ending in the pre-nuptial song for Sharmaji's daughter's wedding. I do have another intriguing question for Mr Pandey, Sharmaji confesses to 49 raids, and we know how much is collected in such hit-and-run seizures, but then all the conmen seem to still survive in apparent penury, despite the obvious prosperity they must be sitting on, where does all the money from the raids go? Sadly, this film also won’t be remembered much for its melody, as the audience is too rapt and caught up in the relentless drama.

Though, definitely not in the league of his earlier 2008 debut film 'A Wednesday', this Neeraj Pandey effort is still very 'Special'. However, what I distinctly remember rather curiously is that, for almost half the length of this two and a half hour movie, there is always this constant striding towards the camera, to the accompaniment of some rousing background score, by the various characters, maybe it was the Director's deliberate ploy to enthrall, by implying intense movement and an overwhelming pace. I wonder, if others also felt that it was, at times, a bit overdone.

The star of the show, for me was undoubtedly the thespian Anupam Kher. He was brilliant; I shall remember a few scenes for a very long time, like his reaction in muted shock, at the Kolkata Airport while reading a newspaper which reported their raid. Another memorable sequence was when he was confronted by Manoj and Jimmy at the hotel room the night before the final raid, his range of expressions in utter surrender, during this encounter was amazing.

Akshay's performance, in comparison was a very measured one, fortunately the two AKs (Akshay K & Anupam K) instead of competing with each other, brilliantly complemented each other, this was a highlight of this film. Ajay did provide some great moments too. The presence of mind shown in changing the raid location in Burra Bazar, Kolkata, as also the audacity of getting help from the other group of raiders, to load the cars, post that raid was hilarious. His motivational speech to the successful candidates after the interview, towards the end, was something that even Sharmaji said, made him forget for a moment that he was a crook.

Manoj with his furrowed brow, has a frown permanently etched on his face, which did not help in bringing out the range of histrionics he is normally capable of, as there is only so much one can do with one's eyes alone. Having said that, his was an important and competent performance, which carried the story with its tautness intact.

Neeraj Pandey has rationally scripted and skillfully directed this period thriller. The meticulous and flawless manner in which the late 80s Delhi, Kolkata and Mumbai were recreated, was no mean achievement and needs to be applauded. Cinematographer Bobby Singh has done a great job in canning the 80s for us. The attention to detail, with regard to reconstructing a bygone era, be it in the advertisements of the time, the old Ambassadors, Fiats and Marutis with the odd Lambretta scooter, the magazines, currency notes, dial phones etc, was unimpeachable. Also the interview snippets of all the various candidates and their absurd moronic responses was very entertaining.

There were more than twenty six reasons for me to like this film, I felt thoroughly entertained at the end of the two and half hour Delhi to Dubai journey of the primary conmen. Go see it; you will definitely enjoy ‘SPECIAL 26’, especially the surprise end!

Student Of The Year

Student Of The Year

Quick Review By - Lt Col D Purushothaman Pillay (Retd)

I did not have much to write about this film, so am including my brief impressions I had posted on my Facebook page. Karan Johar's Student Of The Year is in my view an unapologetic inaneness set in an Utopian chic campus that is a vacuous candyfloss which yielded me but one gem at the end of the 2 hour+ brainless ride - Varun Dhawan..I shall look out for what he would do in the future..End of the day, Hmmm! No regrets, just an inexplicable empty abandon lingers as one strolls out of the theater  coupled with that familiar feeling of "I knew all along this is what I would get". Enjoy, if you have nothing better to do.

Barfi

BARFI

Quick Review By - Lt Col D Purushtohtman Pillay (Retd)

The simple story of discovery during the journey of life, of the nuances of love by two challenged and one normal young soul, that defies societal definitions and physical afflictions, set in a misty Darjeeling.

A good story, but horribly confusing screenplay; salvaged only by the excellent performance of the lead pair. Despite its length and many flaws; primarily due to the story being told through multiple perspectives, it is in the end, an unusual, yet nice love triangle that elicits many heart-warming laughs because of the simple situations and innocence of the protagonists. A different viewing experience from the run of the mill fare that is being churned out by Bollywood of late. One leaves the cinema happy that true love needs no words and will always find its way. A big round of applause for Ranbir & Priyanka, Illeana did her bit very creditably. Must be complimented for its positive portrayal of the differently abled. See it one wont regret it.