Dangal

Dangal (2016) – Overview

Dangal is a 2016 Indian Hindi-language biographical sports drama film, directed by Nitesh Tiwari and produced by Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao, and Siddharth Roy Kapur. The movie is based on the story of Mahavir Singh Phogat (Aamir Khan), a former wrestler who trains his two daughters Geeta and Babita to become global champions.

The film is set in the rural area of Haryana and it centers on the issue of discipline, struggle and breaking gender stereotypes through sports. It was widely acclaimed as being able to tell emotionally charged stories and deliver some of the most realistic Indian film performances that had ever been made.

Dangal Info

Directed by: Nitesh Tiwari
Written by: Nitesh Tiwari, Piyush Gupta, Shreyas Jain, Nikhil Mehrotra
Produced by: Aamir Khan, Kiran Rao, Siddharth Roy Kapur
Starring: Aamir Khan, Sakshi Tanwar, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Sanya Malhotra, Zaira Wasim
Cinematography: Satyajit Pande
Edited by: Ballu Saluja
Music by Songs: Pritam
Score: Pritam
Production company: Aamir Khan Productions, Walt Disney Pictures India
Release date: 23 December 2016

Awards and Nominations

Dangal became a huge critical and commercial hit following its release. It was commended on its veritable storytelling, excellent acting, and strong message of women empowerment and culture of sport in India.

The film won big categories at the 62nd Filmfare Awards which included Best Film, Best Director (Nitesh Tiwari), Best Actor (Aamir Khan) and Best Action. It was also nominated in the 64th National Film Awards, with Zaira Wasim being nominated as Best Supporting Actress due to her role as young Geeta Phogat.

The film became extremely popular internationally, notably in China, and was a winner of numerous awards including Best Asian Film at the AACTA Awards. It was also awarded during the Douban Film Awards and Jackie Chan Action Movie Awards.

Background Information

Plot

Mahavir Singh Phogat is an ex-amateur wrestler who dreams of winning a gold medal on behalf of India but is compelled to forget his dream because of financial difficulties. In the hope that his son will one day make his dream come true, he is displeased when his son is born with four daughters in his place. But his attitude is transformed when his two daughters Geeta and Babita demonstrate surprising strength by beating boys in a local fight.

After recognizing their potential, Mahavir resolves to teach them wrestling, a male dominated sport. Although the girls are subjected to a great deal of criticism on the part of society and are forced to endure common training regimes, the girls slowly begin to adapt and they start to excel. They have to sacrifice, exercise discipline and feel emotional, but they become stronger physically and mentally.

As they advance, Geeta competes on the national level and then attends a professional school. Nevertheless, the variations in coaching styles make her struggle in the beginning. At some point, she is back to the conventional methods of her father and is a confident woman now.

The climax of the story is during the Commonwealth Games when Geeta is representing India. In a tense final match, she makes a remarkable comeback and wins the gold medal, becoming a symbol of pride and proving that determination and hard work can overcome any barrier.

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