MOVIE REVIEW : Panga
Panga
Starring: Kangana Ranaut, Jassie Gill, Richa Chadha
Director: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Music directors: Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy
Panga released in January 2020 but if you missed it then, you can watch it now. It’s streaming on Disney+ Hotstar. Smart writing and an extraordinary performance from its leading lady, ably supported by the rest of the cast, make Panga a wonderful watch—at once sensitive and riveting, and full of humor, to boot.
Former captain of the women’s kabaddi team, Jaya Nigam (Kangana Ranaut) is now a booking clerk at the Bhopal railway station, and a doting wife and mother; but kabaddi isn’t really out of her system. The thought that she could have achieved more gnaws quietly into her soul even as she commits all her energies to hearth and home. When her son Adi gets to know what a star his mother used to be, he spurs her on to make a comeback in her chosen sport, and after the initial reluctance, Jaya throws herself into the challenge.
No praise is enough for Kangana who plays Jaya with exceptional sensitivity and nuance. There isn’t a single false note in her entirely convincing and relatable performance, and her silences are truly golden! Jassie Gill is instantly likeable as her impossibly supportive partner. The no-nonsense kabaddi coach, Meenu (a terrific Richa Chadha) and Jaya’s son Adi, played to perfection by little Yagya Bhasin provide the film’s funniest moments. The seasoned Neena Gupta is lovely as Jaya’s mother.
Though the last hour feels a bit overstretched, that’s a small blemish in this otherwise near-perfect movie which is actually an ode to motherhood, even as it asks you to chase your dreams, without a hint of melodrama.
TOP 10 SONGS
1. Tujhko Mirchi Lagi (Coolie No. 1 remake)
2. Shayad (Love Aaj Kal 2)
3. Dil Bechara Title Track (Dil Bechara)
4. Dus Bahane 2.0 (Baaghi 3)
5. Muqabla (Street Dancer 3)
6. Shaitan Ka Saala (Housefull 4)
7. Ghungroo Song (War)
8. Don’t Be Shy Again (Bala)
9. Malang Title Song (Malang)
10. Shukriya (Sadak 2)
Coolie No.1
TOP 10 MOVIES
1. Chhalaang
2. Ludo
3. Indu ki Jawani
4. Laxmii
5. Coolie No.1
6. Torbaaz
7. Dil Bechara
8. Lootcase
9. Durgamati
10. Sadak 2
More of Bollywood here:
http://www.khabar.com/magazine/bollywood/
Enjoyed reading Khabar magazine? Subscribe to Khabar and get a full digital copy of this Indian-American community magazine.
