panga *ing: Kangana Ranaut, Jassie Gill, Richa Chadda, Neena Gupta, Yo Yo Honey Singh

Rated: 8/10

Panga is an ode to comebacks after motherhood and to women who give up blossoming careers, celebrityhood and presence to nurse their children and families. Tat their is a disclaimer that it is a purely fictitious story, takes away the mirth attached to sporting movies. But having said that, Kangana kind of glides into the role of a yesteryear kabbadi captain now engrossed in raising her cute child and cuter husband, at the expense of the international kabaddi mat and a career all her own. She makes the movie and her character entirely believable though you might want to credit director Ashwini Iyer for not even once playing to the gallery.

The movie and its music comes with a Dangal kind of rustic influence though this is Bhopal not Haryana that the action is centred around. The film holds on to the chords of sensitivity not just for the woman who gave it all up for her premature child but also for the gentle relationship she has with her husband and the scenario from where she is drawn out to dream again, to perform again, this time against all odds.

The pace of the movie is slow and steady and despite the fear of it getting hijacked by ennui, Iyer keeps her calm and let’s the proceedings fall out of the home and the stadium without much of a fuss. Richa Chadda as Kangana’s friend and co-player now turned coach, is a breeze adding interesting moments to the film whenever it starts to flag. However, the role of this straight speaking Haryanvi girl, is slim in the film and that makes you yearn for some more flesh on her being than the footage permits.

Same is the story with Neena Gupta who could have been much more than a laddoo-making nani she is reduced to being in the film. a word about Jassie Gill. He is cool as the side spouse. It is Kangana all the way to yet another performance of the day.