Shabaash Mithu Movie Review: Taapsee Pannu Delivers a Match-Winning Knock As Mithali Raj! (LatestLY Exclusive)
Director Srijit Mukherji's biopic revolves around India’s celebrated woman skipper Mitahli Raj Dhoni played by Tapsee Pannu. The film showcases Mithali’s immense faith in herself and ability to battle professional and personal setbacks!
Shabaash Mithu Movie Review: In a heartachingly realistic scene in director Srijit Mukherji's Shabaash Mithu, Taapsee Pannu's character Mithali Raj (the captain of the national cricket team, no less!) is seen halting her team bus en route to a cricket stadium to relieve herself. Three team India girls are shown finding a rather secluded spot to answer nature's call, as there are no urinals for women at the stadium they are about to visit. The girls squat, and they start staring at the massive hoarding placed along the same road glorifying our MEN IN BLUE. The scene depicts the sorry state of many things in the country when it comes to sports and the heart-aching gender disparity in the richest sport of the country! Taapsee Pannu Gives Major Fashion Goals As She Poses in Style for a Magazine Cover; View Pics.
The major portion of the first half takes time to establish the characters; it shows the odds and the obstacles that Mithali faced thanks to the middle class but well-off, educated family she comes from—and how that element acts as a hurdle for her as opposed to the girls who are hardened by the more bitter lessons of life thanks to the economic strata they come from. The story then revolves around the youngest captain of team India and her aspirations.
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If you are a cricket fanatic, you are bound to love this film. Tapsee internalises her character and becomes Mithali Raj without mimicking the celebrated cricketer. She nails the cover drives, perfects the stance, and has shown the temperament of a true sportsperson. Pannu scores a winning knock for sure. The first half showcases Raj’s early childhood, her initiation into the game as well as her struggle to be a professional cricketer. It simply reiterates why sportsmen deserve the fame and money they get. Taapsee Pannu Radiates Elegance in Beautiful Floral Georgette Saree, View Pics of Shabaash Mithu Actress.
Mukherji recreates Mithali Raj’s life journey beautifully. The makers keep the narrative authentic and relatable. It’s her going against the tide to sum up her life journey as well. Supporting actor Vijay Raaz as Mithali’s coach deserves a special mention as their chemistry tugs at your heartstrings. However, the biopic loses its momentum in the second half with Raj’s professionalism being questioned and that takes undue prominence.
Her tiff with the senior players and her love-hate relationship with the board members, team politics and criticism faced on occasions, barely find a passing reference. As a biopic, this one-dimensional approach towards the lead character and her achievements leaves you a tad discontented. At 157 minutes, the film drags in the second half. Nonetheless, this cricket drama has sufficient master strokes that make us go Shabaash Mithu!
Final Thoughts
Shabaash Mithu is a film that celebrates cricket as much as the brave cricketer who has braved many storms to get Indian Women Cricket team to where it commands the dignity it truly deserves. Watch it for the love of cricket, for Mithali Raj who made the country proud on the global map and for Taapsee Pannu's winning performance.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 15, 2022 01:19 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).