Sports biopic based on the Phogat sisters, a family of Indian wrestlers who were trained by their father to become the first international wrestling champions of that country. The film focuses on the oldest of them, Geeta, and her love / hate relationship with wrestling, with special emphasis on the relationship with her father who was also her coach, played by a fabulous Aamir Khan, (who also produced the film), giving life to a former national wrestling champion, who was forced to leave the sport to help financially the precarious situation of his family, having no choice than accepting any kind of odd jobs, of those that steals the soul and destroys creativity, forcing him to give up his dreams of being an international champion. A cruel way to kill someone, not physically, but spiritually, denying them who they really are. However, as the said goes, one nail drives out another, and a broken dream can only be replaced by a new one, and our protagonist carries all his frustrations and illusions on his daughters shoulders, with the idea that they will achieve everything that he wantedbut life deprived him, with the consequences that this type of toxic fatherhood can bring, when all the expectations that one had for oneself are placed on the children.
Dangal is a film full of truth that does not seek cheap sentimentalism, nor easy tears, but delves deeply into that bottomless pit that frustration can become in someone´s life, turning into an axis that drives the existence, as a painful daily reminder of all those broken dreams that never came true. But the film not only relies on that, and goes beyond, putting the true nature of frustration into the story, displaying the darkest and most unpleasant feelings of human emotions, showing how even if the dreams are achieved through the sons, is inevitable to escape from that unpleasant feeling that every human hides in the darkest corner of the heart called jealousy. However, the film also gives hope, exploring how strong the bonds between father and daughter can be, overcoming all kinds of obstacles.
Definitely, Dangal is an outstanding sports Drama, perfectly constructed as a roller-coaster of many different emotions, builded around a solid base of emotional moments that easily captures the heart. The film also delivers a wonderful displays of martial arts sequences, that shows wrestling on its maximum splendor, displaying on the screen realistic excently executed techniques, but never renouncing the spectacularity that cinema always demands, but above all, leaving you breathless on more than one occasion …
This is one of those special films that are never forgotten, in which you barely notice its almost three-hour long of duration, because as Sergio Leone always used to say, there´s not such thing as long of short films, only good or bad ones, and this one, folks, is a great one.
Available on Netflix for your delight!
