Rating: 4/5

Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Jassi Gill, Richa Chadha and Neena Gupta

Director: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari

Story:

Jaya Nigam (Kangana Ranaut) is shown as a feared raider in the sport of kabaddi in the past, while she is a government employee and a mother stuck to the monotony of a domestic life in the present. The story is about how Jaya makes a decision to pursue kabaddi again at an age which is normally considered a retirement age in the sport. It shows how Jaya Nigam overcomes societal judgement, criticism from her family and breaks stereotypes to realise her dream of once again playing the sport at the national level.

Review:

Kangana Ranaut is brilliant in portraying Jaya Nigam, an ex Indian Pro Kabaddi player who was feared for her raiding skills. At the same time, Ranaut’s portrayal of a doting mother and a government employee stuck in a mundane day to day routine is relatable. Jassi Gill plays the role of Jaya’s husband, Prashant Shrivastava and adds a certain amount of flair to how he portrays the character.

Kangana Ranaut is spectacular in the kabaddi sequences on court, which do not seem overly choreographed and feel realistic. She is a burst of energy on the court, while she is a docile mother off the court. She nails these transitions with absolute elan. Jassi Gill as Prashant offers a brilliant supporting act when he is thrust into the responsibility of looking after the home and their son, at which he has no experience, but manages to still assume responsibility for it. He plays the role of a husband who is willing to put his ambitions behind his wife’s dream and gives her the freedom to pursue her passion.

The narrative is to the point and does not get overly dramatic, a trait otherwise very easy to find in movies which explore the genre of sport. The film honours all the Indian mothers who put their dreams behind to assume the responsibilities of running a home and raising a child at the insistence of their family members.

Panga is a must watch over the weekend owing to the stupendous performances of Kangana Ranaut and Jassi Gill and the brilliant direction of Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari. The film will have you coming out of the theaters feeling good.

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