There is no doubt that Shahid Kapoor is one of the finest actors of his generation. Kapoor started off his career playing romantic leads but with time has grown immensely as an actor and dabbled with some very difficult roles - each time delivering a memorable performance. Kapoor's latest 'Jersey' has him delivering one of the most restraint performances of his career. 
 
A remake of the 2019 Telugu film by the same name, 'Jersey' takes you back in time to the 1990s and narrates the story of Arjun Talwar. Once a gifted cricketer in the 80s, Arjun now lives in a govt quarter with his wife Vidya (Mrunal Thakur) and son Kittu.&nbsp; 
 
Arjun's glorious days on the field are a thing of the past and he now lives as a jilted man who has lost his govt job in a falsely implicated case and has no will to fight back - to go back to the field or get his job back. His marriage is strained because of financial pressure at home and his only solace is his son who literally hero-worships him. 
 
In fact, it's his son's demand for the Indian Jersey as his birthday gift (which Arjun can't afford) that makes Arjun go back to the field much to his coach and mentor's joy (Pankaj Kapoor). After a successful match but no money, Arjun realises he wants to give another shot to the Indian cricket team, while selectors and his coach feel at 36 he is more suitable for an assistant coach's position. How he beats the odds and becomes the hero in his son's life forms the rest of the story.

Written and directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri, 'Jersey' is a long detailed story showcasing the many failures of a man who was once a star on the field. He eloped with Vidya, had a potentially shining career in the Indian cricket team and when he didn't get through- he decided to leave the sport for good. 10 years down the line, his marriage is falling apart, he has no job and super-high self-esteem which stops him from taking up odd jobs or even fighting the legal battle to get his govt job back.&nbsp; 
 
A film that is high on emotions demands credible performances by its actors to keep the viewers engaged. The lead of the film, Shahid Kapoor holds the film together with his subtle restraint performance. Shahid at the beginning of his career was known for his theatrics and dance moves, but Kapoor over the years has matured as an actor and in 'Jersey,' he seems to have aged like fine wine. The film is centred around him and holds the almost three-hour long film together with his stupendous performance.&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BT0zd0kmTxM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe> 
 
Giving him able support is the film's leading lady Mrunal Thakur, child actor Rohit Kamra as Arjun's son and of course Pankaj Kapur as Arjun's mentor, coach- who never fails to weave magic on screen.&nbsp; 
 
Thakur's role as the wife who has to hold the fort while her husband whilst away years sitting at home is also a tough one to play. The two form a great pair- who show the digression of their relationship very well. The screenplay by &nbsp;Tinnanuri beautifully shows how the relationship between Arjun and Vidya changes with time due to circumstances. Marital discord is shown in many films, but many times makers fail to bring out the stillness that comes in a relationship that is at the brink of failing. In Jersey, both Thakur and Kapoor deal with their scenes beautifully. So does Kamra who infuses the perfect amount of maturity and innocence into his character.&nbsp; 
 
The senior Kapur's character isn't that well fleshed out yet, as assistant coach and mentor, the veteran actor shines and especially in the last scene, where his character is shown to have aged tremendously, its a delight to watch Pankaj Kapur, speaking in a certain manner which is suitable to his character.&nbsp; 
 
The film's cinematography by Anil Mehta and music by Sachet-Parampara are also praise worthy. Mehta creates the cricket scenes- which are in plenty- very engaging making the viewer immerse in the matches. 
&nbsp; 
The film though could have been shorter. There are certain plot points that do not make sense. How a man who has been off -cricket for years, can make such a stupendous comeback in his first match after a sabbatical without any practice is slightly hard to believe. Also, there is a lot of background commentary&nbsp;- which is typical of all sports films- which after a point seems unnecessary.&nbsp; 
 
'Jersey' though, still scores six for it has its heart at the right place. For its endearing story of a father wanting to do better for his son and for its underdog story. A well-written script, aided with performances by its credible actors makes 'Jersey' worth a watch.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

&nbsp;

There is no doubt that Shahid Kapoor is one of the finest actors of his generation. Kapoor started off his career playing romantic leads but with time has grown immensely as an actor and dabbled with some very difficult roles - each time delivering a memorable performance.

There is no doubt that Shahid Kapoor is one of the finest actors of his generation. Kapoor started off his career playing romantic leads but with time has grown immensely as an actor and dabbled with some very difficult roles - each time delivering a memorable performance. Kapoor's latest 'Jersey' has him delivering one of the most restraint performances of his career. A remake of the 2019 Telugu film by the same name, 'Jersey' takes you back in time to the 1990s and narrates the story of Arjun Talwar. Once a gifted cricketer in the 80s, Arjun now lives in a govt quarter with his wife Vidya (Mrunal Thakur) and son Kittu. Arjun's glorious days on the field are a thing of the past and he now lives as a jilted man who has lost his govt job in a falsely implicated case and has no will to fight back - to go back to the field or get his job back. His marriage is strained because of financial pressure at home and his only solace is his son who literally hero-worships him. In fact, it's his son's demand for the Indian Jersey as his birthday gift (which Arjun can't afford) that makes Arjun go back to the field much to his coach and mentor's joy (Pankaj Kapoor). After a successful match but no money, Arjun realises he wants to give another shot to the Indian cricket team, while selectors and his coach feel at 36 he is more suitable for an assistant coach's position. How he beats the odds and becomes the hero in his son's life forms the rest of the story. Written and directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri, 'Jersey' is a long detailed story showcasing the many failures of a man who was once a star on the field. He eloped with Vidya, had a potentially shining career in the Indian cricket team and when he didn't get through- he decided to leave the sport for good. 10 years down the line, his marriage is falling apart, he has no job and super-high self-esteem which stops him from taking up odd jobs or even fighting the legal battle to get his govt job back. A film that is high on emotions demands credible performances by its actors to keep the viewers engaged. The lead of the film, Shahid Kapoor holds the film together with his subtle restraint performance. Shahid at the beginning of his career was known for his theatrics and dance moves, but Kapoor over the years has matured as an actor and in 'Jersey,' he seems to have aged like fine wine. The film is centred around him and holds the almost three-hour long film together with his stupendous performance. Giving him able support is the film's leading lady Mrunal Thakur, child actor Rohit Kamra as Arjun's son and of course Pankaj Kapur as Arjun's mentor, coach- who never fails to weave magic on screen. Thakur's role as the wife who has to hold the fort while her husband whilst away years sitting at home is also a tough one to play. The two form a great pair- who show the digression of their relationship very well. The screenplay by Tinnanuri beautifully shows how the relationship between Arjun and Vidya changes with time due to circumstances. Marital discord is shown in many films, but many times makers fail to bring out the stillness that comes in a relationship that is at the brink of failing. In Jersey, both Thakur and Kapoor deal with their scenes beautifully. So does Kamra who infuses the perfect amount of maturity and innocence into his character. The senior Kapur's character isn't that well fleshed out yet, as assistant coach and mentor, the veteran actor shines and especially in the last scene, where his character is shown to have aged tremendously, its a delight to watch Pankaj Kapur, speaking in a certain manner which is suitable to his character. The film's cinematography by Anil Mehta and music by Sachet-Parampara are also praise worthy. Mehta creates the cricket scenes- which are in plenty- very engaging making the viewer immerse in the matches. The film though could have been shorter. There are certain plot points that do not make sense. How a man who has been off -cricket for years, can make such a stupendous comeback in his first match after a sabbatical without any practice is slightly hard to believe. Also, there is a lot of background commentary - which is typical of all sports films- which after a point seems unnecessary. 'Jersey' though, still scores six for it has its heart at the right place. For its endearing story of a father wanting to do better for his son and for its underdog story. A well-written script, aided with performances by its credible actors makes 'Jersey' worth a watch.

'Jersey' movie review: Shahid Kapoor delivers a restrained performance in a heartwarming film

If you play the little game of stream of consciousness for Indian representation of the horror genre, what are the terms that usually pop on top of your head? In all probability, these ones: shockingly bland special effects, histrionics that butcher the concept of subdued acting, outlandish scripts and, of course, garish make-up of the paranormal. And, if you thought, you are missing out on groundbreaking work that is ‘Dybbuk’, fret not!

The story&nbsp;has a shattered Mahi (Nikita Dutta) trying to reintegrate her life after tragedy befell in the form of a miscarriage, thereby affecting her marriage to Sam (Emraan Hashmi). Desperate to piece it all back together, the pair makes a move from Mumbai to Maldives. Little did they know that a fresh start in a foreign land would entail a brawl with the devil.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-wion-exclusive-ub40-we-are-old-frts-now-our-kids-carry-the-flag-for-revolutionary-change-424650">WION exclusive: UB40: We are old f*rts now, our kids carry the flag for revolutionary change</a>

‘Dybbuk’ hook trope is a 16th century box (called dibuk, hence the glamourised name) that a lonely Mahi sources from an antique shop. Going by Jewish legends, a dibuk is a spirit on the lookout for a body to dwell in. Sure enough—the inter-faith couple’s home hosts a series of paranormal activities and strange occurrences that demands an immediate exorcism and spiritual cleansing of the house.&nbsp;

<img alt="The movie lacks originality, conviction" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a8e5da2f-3309-4ded-b4ee-ac14a885d680" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/pjimage%20-%202021-10-29T153234.331.jpg" />

Yes, ‘Dybbuk’ is an insipidly executed, uninspiring hotchpotch that has an abused premise for a screenplay, which, by the way, Bollywood has been rehashing and re-launching in their horror flicks since time immemorial.

Director Jay Krishnan (aka Jay K) has remade his own Malayalam debut movie, ‘Ezra’, in Hindi and called it, mysteriously, ‘Dybbuk’. While we cannot comment on ‘Ezra’, we sure have our two bits to share on the latter. First things first, the jump scares—a prerequisite for horror mystery—are barely there to evoke any sense of fear, even the ones that are inserted into the script lack conviction and fail to erect&nbsp;the hair on your head… leave alone evoking goose bumps! Twist (read: attempt to rediscover) comes in the form of religion. Crowd favourite Christianity and its notorious exorcism—still pining for a desi version of&nbsp;‘The Exorcism of Emily Rose’, ‘The Conjuring’ saga and what not!—has been plucked out of equation and Rabbis and Judaism have been introduced to make it look… new? Fresh? Well, that did not sit well with critics et al. A rehash is a rehash is a rehash!

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lifestyle/news-wion-exclusive-bhuvan-bam-%E2%80%98dhindora%E2%80%99-could-have-been-on-any-ott-platform-but-thats-unfair-to-my-viewers-424368">WION exclusive: Bhuvan Bam: ‘Dhindora’ could have been on any OTT platform, but that's unfair to my viewers</a>

The pace of the plot may have been swift, but the same cannot be said about its progression—the mystery in this horror-mystery remains largely underexplored, with Jay K barely scratching the element of intrigue in ‘Dybbuk’. It also comes off as rather rude and obnoxious that the makers turn this horror story into a guide to Jewish folklore, thus evoking a sense of inferiority among the audience by virtue of assumption that they cannot read between the lines. A massive downer.

<img alt="The movie is a boring rehash, to be honest" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="5988374d-8109-435d-bd94-e764e7d13626" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/pjimage%20-%202021-10-29T153318.810.jpg" />

Emraan Hashmi and Nikita Dutta are solid, well-rounded actors but they had very little to go with&nbsp;as far as the script of ‘Dybbuk’ goes. Like we mentioned before, Bollywood has an ocean of change to&nbsp;undergo in the horror-mystery department. Sadly, ‘Dybbuk’ is not a flicker of hope, either.&nbsp;

Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-dune-review-a-visual-masterpiece-on-life-culture-far-ahead-of-our-times-423285">Dune review: A visual masterpiece on life, culture far ahead of our times</a>

If you play the little game of stream of consciousness for Indian representation of the horror genre, what are the terms that usually pop on top of your head? In all probability, these ones: shockingly bland special effects, histrionics that butcher the concept of subdued acting, outlandish scripts and, of course, garish make-up of the paranormal.

If you play the little game of stream of consciousness for Indian representation of the horror genre, what are the terms that usually pop on top of your head? In all probability, these ones: shockingly bland special effects, histrionics that butcher the concept of subdued acting, outlandish scripts and, of course, garish make-up of the paranormal. And, if you thought, you are missing out on groundbreaking work that is ‘Dybbuk’, fret not! The story has a shattered Mahi (Nikita Dutta) trying to reintegrate her life after tragedy befell in the form of a miscarriage, thereby affecting her marriage to Sam (Emraan Hashmi). Desperate to piece it all back together, the pair makes a move from Mumbai to Maldives. Little did they know that a fresh start in a foreign land would entail a brawl with the devil. Also read: WION exclusive: UB40: We are old f*rts now, our kids carry the flag for revolutionary change ‘Dybbuk’ hook trope is a 16th century box (called dibuk, hence the glamourised name) that a lonely Mahi sources from an antique shop. Going by Jewish legends, a dibuk is a spirit on the lookout for a body to dwell in. Sure enough—the inter-faith couple’s home hosts a series of paranormal activities and strange occurrences that demands an immediate exorcism and spiritual cleansing of the house. Yes, ‘Dybbuk’ is an insipidly executed, uninspiring hotchpotch that has an abused premise for a screenplay, which, by the way, Bollywood has been rehashing and re-launching in their horror flicks since time immemorial. Director Jay Krishnan (aka Jay K) has remade his own Malayalam debut movie, ‘Ezra’, in Hindi and called it, mysteriously, ‘Dybbuk’. While we cannot comment on ‘Ezra’, we sure have our two bits to share on the latter. First things first, the jump scares—a prerequisite for horror mystery—are barely there to evoke any sense of fear, even the ones that are inserted into the script lack conviction and fail to erect the hair on your head… leave alone evoking goose bumps! Twist (read: attempt to rediscover) comes in the form of religion. Crowd favourite Christianity and its notorious exorcism—still pining for a desi version of ‘The Exorcism of Emily Rose’, ‘The Conjuring’ saga and what not!—has been plucked out of equation and Rabbis and Judaism have been introduced to make it look… new? Fresh? Well, that did not sit well with critics et al. A rehash is a rehash is a rehash! Also read: WION exclusive: Bhuvan Bam: ‘Dhindora’ could have been on any OTT platform, but that's unfair to my viewers The pace of the plot may have been swift, but the same cannot be said about its progression—the mystery in this horror-mystery remains largely underexplored, with Jay K barely scratching the element of intrigue in ‘Dybbuk’. It also comes off as rather rude and obnoxious that the makers turn this horror story into a guide to Jewish folklore, thus evoking a sense of inferiority among the audience by virtue of assumption that they cannot read between the lines. A massive downer. Emraan Hashmi and Nikita Dutta are solid, well-rounded actors but they had very little to go with as far as the script of ‘Dybbuk’ goes. Like we mentioned before, Bollywood has an ocean of change to undergo in the horror-mystery department. Sadly, ‘Dybbuk’ is not a flicker of hope, either. Also read: Dune review: A visual masterpiece on life, culture far ahead of our times

'Dybbuk' review: Emraan Hashmi’s charm doesn’t suffice this insipid horror flick

In one of the most poignant scenes of Sharan Sharma's 'Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl', &nbsp;a dejected Gunjan (Janhvi Kapoor) tells her father (Pankaj Tripathi) that she is thinking of settling down. Having faced constant sexism at her first posting at an Airforce base in Uddhampur, the young woman feels marriage would be a better deal. Her father who has been her biggest ally and has rooted for her dream to become a pilot looks at her shocked and eventually tells her that how society will always want to cage free-spirited women and it's upto the women to break free. The scene beautifully sums up 'Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl'.&nbsp;

Based on Gunjan Saxena, the first woman combat pilot of the Indian Airforce who played a crucial role at the Kargil war, the film highlights a young girl's dream of becoming a pilot, her initial days at the Indian Air Force and the constant sexism that she had to face for choosing such an uncanny profession.&nbsp;

Born to an Army officer father and homemaker mother, Gunjan harboured dreams of becoming a pilot from a young age. While her father gave her wings to fly, she faced numerous obstacles throughout her life. From a misogynist brother (Angad Singh Bedi) who thought his sister was only good for serving people tea and coffee on the flight to lack of funds to enroll herself in a flight school- problems were in plenty. But Gunjan encouraged greatly by her father, and her determination makes it the Indian Air Force as one of the first few female pilots.&nbsp;

Watch trailer here:

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="446" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/rtGIq9Xjnrw" width="793"></iframe>

In her first posting, a new set of problems crop up simply because she is the only female officer at that base. From sexist comments to professional rivalries to not getting a women exclusive changing room- Gunjan's problems are far from over. How she overcomes them and eventually becomes one of the heroes during the Kargil War forms the rest of the story.&nbsp;

The beauty of writers Nikhil Mehrotra and Sharan Sharma lie in the way they approach the story of Gunjan Sharma, devoid of any frills. The story is of a girl's struggle to become one of the most celebrated IAF officers and the writers never deviate from the main plot. So there is no unnecessary romantic plot, or for that matter any parallel track. It solely concentrates on telling Gunjan's story.&nbsp;

It also takes a very balanced approach in its depiction of the men. Gujan has been a victim of workplace sexism. She has colleagues who avoid eye contact with her, cancel sortes with her and are even scared that she will become a 'sir' from 'madam'. But then she is guided ably by a senior officer (Manav Vij) who takes her under his wings and trains her to become the best in class. Then at home, while she is constantly discouraged by her brother, it's her father who is always giving her the push to pursue her dreams.&nbsp;

'Gunjan Saxena' is also a story of an ambitious daughter and her encouraging father and Janhvi Kapoor and Pankaj Tripathi make for a formidable pair. Kapoor in the lead role delivers a performance that shows her confidence over her craft. She is restraint as the young Gunjan and confident and ambitious as the older version of the character. However, on many occassion, her expressions do not really match up to the scene. In the garb of showing herself as helpless and frustrated, Kapoor adopts a straight face that does not indicate the emotions the character is going through affectively.&nbsp;

Tripathi, on the other hand, is completely a delight to watch. As the encouraging father, he finds multiple ways to convince his family members about Gunjan's ambitious plans. He is such a gifted actor that he manages to uplift even the smallest of the gestures beautifully.&nbsp;

Angad Singh Bedi and Vineet Kumar Singh, who play characters from the other end of the spectrum are convincing in the roles. They are the ones who are constantly discouraging and proving to be a hindrance in Gunjan's journey to becoming a pilot and the two actors deliver well in their respective roles.&nbsp;

The film is nearly 2 hours long and the director packs in a lot of stuff in that duration. How Gunjan got introduced to the idea of becoming a pilot to her early school days as a student who topped her class, to her training in the IAF- A lot is shown in the film. Despite the detailing, the film never appears too stretched.&nbsp;

Shot by the R Dee, the film captures the valleys, (supposed to be Kargil and Dras sector) well. I wish it had got a theatrical release, the war scenes would have looked grand on the big screen. On OTT, the impact of the battle scenes lessens to an extent. It was made for the big screen anyway but had to opt for a digital release due to the pandemic.&nbsp;

The film ultimately scores because of its content that effectively highlights the misogyny of the IAF in the 1990s. 'Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl' is also a poignant story of a father and his daughter- both dreamers who refuse to back down.&nbsp;

The film is streaming on Netflix from August 12 onwards.

In one of the most poignant scenes of Sharan Sharma's 'Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl', a dejected Gunjan (Janhvi Kapoor) tells her father (Pankaj Tripathi) that she is thinking of settling down.

In one of the most poignant scenes of Sharan Sharma's 'Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl', a dejected Gunjan (Janhvi Kapoor) tells her father (Pankaj Tripathi) that she is thinking of settling down. Having faced constant sexism at her first posting at an Airforce base in Uddhampur, the young woman feels marriage would be a better deal. Her father who has been her biggest ally and has rooted for her dream to become a pilot looks at her shocked and eventually tells her that how society will always want to cage free-spirited women and it's upto the women to break free. The scene beautifully sums up 'Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl'. Based on Gunjan Saxena, the first woman combat pilot of the Indian Airforce who played a crucial role at the Kargil war, the film highlights a young girl's dream of becoming a pilot, her initial days at the Indian Air Force and the constant sexism that she had to face for choosing such an uncanny profession. Born to an Army officer father and homemaker mother, Gunjan harboured dreams of becoming a pilot from a young age. While her father gave her wings to fly, she faced numerous obstacles throughout her life. From a misogynist brother (Angad Singh Bedi) who thought his sister was only good for serving people tea and coffee on the flight to lack of funds to enroll herself in a flight school- problems were in plenty. But Gunjan encouraged greatly by her father, and her determination makes it the Indian Air Force as one of the first few female pilots. Watch trailer here: In her first posting, a new set of problems crop up simply because she is the only female officer at that base. From sexist comments to professional rivalries to not getting a women exclusive changing room- Gunjan's problems are far from over. How she overcomes them and eventually becomes one of the heroes during the Kargil War forms the rest of the story. The beauty of writers Nikhil Mehrotra and Sharan Sharma lie in the way they approach the story of Gunjan Sharma, devoid of any frills. The story is of a girl's struggle to become one of the most celebrated IAF officers and the writers never deviate from the main plot. So there is no unnecessary romantic plot, or for that matter any parallel track. It solely concentrates on telling Gunjan's story. It also takes a very balanced approach in its depiction of the men. Gujan has been a victim of workplace sexism. She has colleagues who avoid eye contact with her, cancel sortes with her and are even scared that she will become a 'sir' from 'madam'. But then she is guided ably by a senior officer (Manav Vij) who takes her under his wings and trains her to become the best in class. Then at home, while she is constantly discouraged by her brother, it's her father who is always giving her the push to pursue her dreams. 'Gunjan Saxena' is also a story of an ambitious daughter and her encouraging father and Janhvi Kapoor and Pankaj Tripathi make for a formidable pair. Kapoor in the lead role delivers a performance that shows her confidence over her craft. She is restraint as the young Gunjan and confident and ambitious as the older version of the character. However, on many occassion, her expressions do not really match up to the scene. In the garb of showing herself as helpless and frustrated, Kapoor adopts a straight face that does not indicate the emotions the character is going through affectively. Tripathi, on the other hand, is completely a delight to watch. As the encouraging father, he finds multiple ways to convince his family members about Gunjan's ambitious plans. He is such a gifted actor that he manages to uplift even the smallest of the gestures beautifully. Angad Singh Bedi and Vineet Kumar Singh, who play characters from the other end of the spectrum are convincing in the roles. They are the ones who are constantly discouraging and proving to be a hindrance in Gunjan's journey to becoming a pilot and the two actors deliver well in their respective roles. The film is nearly 2 hours long and the director packs in a lot of stuff in that duration. How Gunjan got introduced to the idea of becoming a pilot to her early school days as a student who topped her class, to her training in the IAF- A lot is shown in the film. Despite the detailing, the film never appears too stretched. Shot by the R Dee, the film captures the valleys, (supposed to be Kargil and Dras sector) well. I wish it had got a theatrical release, the war scenes would have looked grand on the big screen. On OTT, the impact of the battle scenes lessens to an extent. It was made for the big screen anyway but had to opt for a digital release due to the pandemic. The film ultimately scores because of its content that effectively highlights the misogyny of the IAF in the 1990s. 'Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl' is also a poignant story of a father and his daughter- both dreamers who refuse to back down. The film is streaming on Netflix from August 12 onwards.

'Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl' review - Pankaj Tripathi, Janhvi Kapoor's film soars high for its effective messaging

In a poignant scene in Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s ‘Panga’, as Jaya’s husband and son come to see her off at the station, instead of bidding them farewell, she starts quizzing the two most important men in her life about what all needs to be done at home every day in her absence.

In a poignant scene in Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari’s ‘Panga’, as Jaya’s husband and son come to see her off at the station, instead of bidding them farewell, she starts quizzing the two most important men in her life about what all needs to be done at home every day in her absence. How many ml of cough syrup does the son have, what time does his school bus come, how many whistles does it take to boil the daal- hurriedly revising the daily routine before she embarks on a difficult journey- givings wings to her long-suppressed dream. The scene, along with few other similar moments sum up the ‘Panga’ beautifully and narrates the most heartwarming story of a mother who dares to dream for herself at a time when most are wanting to give up. Jaya Nigam's(Kangana Ranaut) life seems picture-perfect when the film begins. She has a government job, lives in Bhopal with husband Prashant(Jassie Gill), an engineer in the Railways and an over-curious 7-year-old son Adi. While she is a dedicated wife, a loving and anxious mother and a perfect homemaker- in the daily humdrum of life she misses her first love the most. She was a National level Kabaddi player once upon a time- and amid domesticity, Jaya misses the court and her old self the most. Mind you, she has the most supporting family around and Jaya left sports out of her own will to take care of her son who is born with a medical condition yet she admits to her ever understanding husband then when she looks at herself, she doesn't feel happy. The son is a sprightly young boy who insists on her comeback and the couple agrees to humour him for a month. But Jaya soon realises that this is her calling and she wants to again get back to the game. But taking up sports post domesticity is never easy- a fact that Jaya discovers with every push, every sprint and every bout of game. View this post on Instagram Apni Mummy ke liye #Panga lena hai. @foxstarhindi @team_kangana_ranaut @jassie.gill @therichachadha @neena_gupta @yagyabhasin @mehrotranikhil @shankarehsaanloy #JavedAkhtar @saregama_official #panga #pangastories #24Jan A post shared by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari (@ashwinyiyertiwari) on Jan 20, 2020 at 11:25pm PST × With support from her best friend Meenu, who was a fellow teammate and now a women's Kabaddi team coach, and a lot of egging from her excited son, husband, and mother, Jaya takes on a herculean task to get back to the game and earn a spot in the Indian women's Kabbadi team. The beauty of 'Panga' lies in its simplicity. Director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari along writes a very detailed screenplay with Nikhil Mehrotra which never overimagines or overdramatizes the narrative. The family of three lives in modest government accommodation in Bhopal, where the set up is just like any ordinary middle-class household and not a slick Instagram friendly household. As Jaya starts training, her rise is never shown as meteoric- she struggles, grapples to first maintain a balance between her family and professional life, then to prove to the world that she still has it her to make it to the Indian team with a body that needs 'oiling'. Sports dramas mostly narrate stories of underdogs, of triumphing over odds. The approach is mostly dramatic- but that is not the case with 'Panga'. Mehrotra and Tiwari along with an additional screenplay by Nitesh Tiwari, find beauty in the everyday routine. There is no oppressive husband here, no critically ill child or parent, no financial hardship- yet Jaya wants to get back to her first love- something that a lot of us can relate to. As Jaya leaves for medical camp, the husband tries to manage the household- as promised to her- and fails quite often much to the son's dismay. The parathas are served burnt, the bed is never made, the food is too oily, even the tiger make up for the school annual function goes awry - things that are part of the daily life start becoming glaringly different because the woman of the house is gone. The actors are pitch-perfect in their respective roles. Be it the helpful neighbour who often takes care of the child when the parents are away at work, to the helpful roommate that Jaya meets at camp who like a younger sister guides helps her overcome her shortcomings in the game to the central characters who all cheer Jaya to dream one more time. It is refreshing to see Kangana Ranaut play someone so normal and relatable like Jaya. She has over the past few years made her mark playing eccentric characters which have often been compared to her real-life persona, but perhaps Ranauat channelizes her mother and scores of other middle-class mothers in India while playing Jaya. Understated, restraint and very elegant. Jaya is like every other middle-class Indian woman who goes the extra mile to ensure their families get everything and often put their desires and aspirations to rest for domestic bliss. Ably supporting Kangana Ranaut is singer-actor Jassie Gill, who never oversteps and plays the supportive husband and doting father to the hilt. There's something really endearing about Gill's personality which makes him perfect for the role of the supportive Prashant. Neena Gupta plays Jaya's mother who is just as spirited as a person as her daughter. Richa Chadha as Meenu, Jaya's best friend and coach, gets the funny lines and delivers a commendable performance in the limited screen time that she has. The star of the film though is young actor Yagya Bhasin who plays Jaya's son Adi- a bright talented find who emotes through his big bright eyes and doesn't have a single false note. His scenes with Gill are so endearing to watch and the two make for a very good father-son duo- complementing each other with great performances. The filmmaker who has in the past made films like 'Nil Battey Sannata' and 'Bareilly Ki Barfi' and has by now completely aced the depiction of the societies in small-town India- where they are slowly getting accustomed to modernity but still are rooted to traditions and cultures. With each of her films, Tiwari makes small-town India look warm, real yet fascinating. View this post on Instagram #DILNEKAHA PANGA LO #PANGA in Theatres on 24th JAN 2020 @foxstarhindi @team_kangana_ranaut @jassie.gill @therichachadha @neena_gupta @yagyabhasin @mehrotranikhil @shankarehsaanloy #JavedAkhtar @saregama_official @sanchitbalhara @wrkprint #ballusaluja @castingchhabra @mehersand45 @rushimanoshi @bohamian_bhagyashree @shajithkoyeri @mehersand @_architpatel_ @roo_cha @kachak26 @shikhakapur @guptadipankar #pangastories #pangahumans #panga #ilovemovies #lifeofafilmmaker #storytellersofindia A post shared by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari (@ashwinyiyertiwari) on Jan 16, 2020 at 10:21pm PST × There is not a single false note in 'Panga'. It's that good and that real. The writers show Jaya rubbing off the Indian captain Smita (Smita Tambe) the wrong way in the second half which may appear a tad dramatic and unnecessary but ultimately they put together such a riveting, gripping, sensitive story that this little dramatization can be easily overlooked. 'Panga' works for its performances, it's an inspiring story and its detailed screenplay. But above all its Ashwini Iyer Tiwari's ode to mothers- the unsung heroes of our lives and that should be a good enough reason to watch the film.

'Panga' review: Kangana Ranaut's film is a heartwarming tribute to mothers