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Panga Movie Review: Kangana Ranaut enlivens Ashwini Iyer Tiwari's writing in this soul stirring film
Panga Movie Review: Can a forgotten national kabaddi player and now a doting mother make a comeback at the age of 32? Ashwini Iyer Tiwari and Kangana Ranaut make the aforementioned the cornerstone of their story and ensure that they deliver a heart-warming film.
Movie Name: Panga
Panga Director: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Panga Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Jassie Gill
Panga Stars: 3.5/5
Panga revolves around Jaya Nigam (Kangana Ranaut), her husband Prashant Sachdeva (Jassie Gill) and son Adi Sachdeva (Yagya Bhasin). Jaya was once a national team kabaddi champion who left the sports arena after she found love and married Prashant. For seven years, she puts her dreams in a cold basket. Eventually, she forgets about it to juggle her humdrum life of being a railway ticketing agent, a loving wife and a mother.
One day, in a fit of disappointment, when her son (Adi) expresses that he feels his mother doesn’t do anything substantial that needed her to skip his school Sports Day, she wonders if she failed as a mother. Prashant counsels Adi and informs him that Jaya is a former national kabaddi champion who set aside her dreams without any remorse for supporting the family. However, Adi gets stuck with the thought of what stops Jaya from making a comeback. Hereon, the parents decide they will humour the wishes of their child. Jaya agrees to try for a month to play Kabaddi again and return to her normal life once Adi forgets about it. But in the course, her frail attempts reignite her inner desire to play for the country one last time!
Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari has written the film with surgical accuracy. The film is rooted in the subculture of societal facts and depicts the emotional and painstaking journey of a middle-class Indian woman’s attempt to follow her dreams. Set in the small town (a battleground that is now being explored extensively by Bollywood), the makers masterfully depict age stereotypes and complexities of making a choice between family responsibility and the love for the sport. It also symbolically highlights and sensibly challenges the notion that for an average Indian middle-class woman, it is always an ‘either-or’ choice between her dreams and her family responsibilities.
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Panga could have been another critic pleasing film, but director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s direction is a fresh breeze that elevates the storytelling. There are stereotypes shown, but without stereotypical characters. She also walks away from a caricatured depiction of a small town. Irrespective of their gender, each character has something to contribute to the film. Dialogues are simple, subtle and yet they manage to leave an impact. A special mention for lines given to Adi. It’s unusual for Bollywood to pen brilliant child characters in a film about the tussles of an adult. Bollywood has done this in only a few movies such as Secret Superstar and Taare Zameen Par, but then the stories were made for the younger audience.
Adi’s character does complete justice to the story and doesn’t go unnoticed. The makers force you to wonder if Jaya is a character who has been sauntering around you in the neighbourhood with complete anonymity. Perhaps, you might be Jaya. From making her child bite Tulsi leaves before stepping out of the home, being active on school WhatsApp group, to a father’s struggle of handling the child all alone are the kind of nuances which will touch your heart. The writers have done an excellent job and pumped in soul to this slice of life film. Kudos to Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari, Nitesh Tiwari and Nikhil Mehrotra (the co-writers) who have mastered the art of storytelling through their relatable yet straightforward writing.
The first half is impressive, light-hearted, filled with emotions and Kangana and her son’s relationship will make you fall in love with them. The initial few minutes of second-half get a bit dragged, mostly because of the predictability of the story. The climax is moving and inspiring. It will also remind you of Dangal, at times. Music is good, but there is nothing much to take home. Kangana Ranaut has proved her acting prowess in many films and Panga is no different. She is brilliant with emotions, excellent with expressions, witty with dialogues, amazing with performances, but most importantly, she has done all of these effortlessly. Even though the actor in a recent interview to Pinkvilla confessed that she was worried that she hasn’t been able to give her full attention to the film, Ashwiny and Kangana ensure that the audience never gets a hint about it. Kangana ran the risk of coming dangerously close to her depiction of Rani in Queen. However, she manages to pull off being a sportswoman, a mother and a small-town, middle-class girl with acute finesse.
The film screenplay is fluid as the chemistry between each character is etched to perfection. Kangana’s chemistry with Jassie looks real. Her bonding with Adi makes you believe in her character even more. Jassie Gill has done his best as a supportive husband. His decision to underplay the role adds more layers to the film. Richa Chadha as Meenu is entertaining, funny and makes you wish for a friend like her. Neena Gupta brings her theatre experience to film. She is unbeatable at this fort and ultimately shines in the role. The banter between Jaya and her mother (Neena Gupta) is like a snuggle after a bad day.
Panga is a film which can be watched with the entire family. Do not mistake it for a movie on Kabaddi. It’s the story that reminds you that it’s never too late to fulfil your inner desires. Perhaps, Panga will make you pick up the phone and call that Jaya who marched into oblivion just because we were too busy to spot and encourage her to chase her dream.
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