Sunday, October 12, 2014

Mary Kom - Movie Review

Sports drama moves me like nothing else. For that choky, teary feeling put on any classic sports drama and I fall for it.. Its almost karmic, the connection. Something wells deep inside me and I react physiologically, almost without control to the drama. Sports has a truth, a nobility, an honesty to the effort that I cannot but help feel that way. If I remember being moved to tears most, its in movies like Cool Runnings, Lagaan, Chariots of Fire, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar, Ghulam, Golconda High School. Mary Kom joins the list of movies that moved me, choked me.

The movie is taut and has no slack. Mary Kom's life has enough content and more to keep the viewer pegged in his seat all through - forget the popcorn. From the dramatic first scene where a pregnant Mary Kom and her husband are somehow trying to make it to the hospital, the movie does not let go its grip. Nothing gets me like the honest admiration of a heroes peers and in the movie the dacoit asks his men to let the police convoy and the pregnant Mary Kom go - she is a fighter he says, and will always be. Respect. You got to earn it.

Mary Kom's life in a poor farmer's family in Manipur, her aggressive and persistent demeanour, her stomach for a fight are all depicted well. How she shifts to boxing, shows her commitment to her dedicated and wise coach, and slowly starts scaling up the ranks of boxers in the world follows seamlessly. A budding romance, world championships, fights with the boxing association, marriage - nothing deters the woman. Magnificent Mary picks up five golds in the world amateur boxing championships. no mean feat, a bronze in the 2012 Olympics and now a gold in Asian Games Incheon. Mary is legendary stuff and one where all girls can take great inspiration from. Whether it is harassment, fighting it out in a man's world, balancing her professional and personal life, Mary has done wonderful stuff with her life and continues to do so.

Priyanka Chopra excels as Mary Kom in a performance that rivals Farhan Akhthar's in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. She lives her role and never lets her guard down, angry, restless, hardworking and committed to the core. A fighter, and she looks, talks and walks that role. Omung Kumar does a great job as director. Did I like it? Of course I did. Wonderfully made. Sports dramas and biopics seem to have more real life heroes for us than anyone else. Am I glad for that. Watch it if you have not. You will be better off for it.

No comments: