Paan Singh Tomar is a fantastic biopic of an Armyman turned Athlete turned dacoit. Apart from great cinematography, which really brought the Bhihad of MP alive, its the dialogues and the ease with which Irrfan Khan carries off the character which really makes the film work.
But the single most appreciable fact about the film is that it considers the audience intelligent. The film in a way is an excellent way to understand what is wrong with India, without being preachy.
Apart from the most obvious one i.e. How India treats its athletes, the film also sheds light on broader national issues. The scene when the village sarpanch (headman) who betrays Paan Singh is ratting out to the police is a grim reminder of how deeply entrenched the Caste system is in our country & the hypocrisy of the upper castes.
Also, the whole film is an excellent critique of how outlaws are often a result of a corrupt and immoral society - nation, which could put into perspective a lot of our views on Naxalites.
It's only rare that a film so honest and gritty comes out of Bollywood. For the amount of senseless cinema we produce, Paan Singn Tomar redeems Bollywood.
The director Tigmanshu Dhulia goes many notches up with this film, and for me he has joined the ranks of Vishal Bhardwaj, Anurag Kashyap & Dibakar Banerjee for making good cinema
But the single most appreciable fact about the film is that it considers the audience intelligent. The film in a way is an excellent way to understand what is wrong with India, without being preachy.
Apart from the most obvious one i.e. How India treats its athletes, the film also sheds light on broader national issues. The scene when the village sarpanch (headman) who betrays Paan Singh is ratting out to the police is a grim reminder of how deeply entrenched the Caste system is in our country & the hypocrisy of the upper castes.
Also, the whole film is an excellent critique of how outlaws are often a result of a corrupt and immoral society - nation, which could put into perspective a lot of our views on Naxalites.
It's only rare that a film so honest and gritty comes out of Bollywood. For the amount of senseless cinema we produce, Paan Singn Tomar redeems Bollywood.
The director Tigmanshu Dhulia goes many notches up with this film, and for me he has joined the ranks of Vishal Bhardwaj, Anurag Kashyap & Dibakar Banerjee for making good cinema