Movie Review: 4/5 – Just relish the pleasure of watching Paan Singh Tomar.

In a country obsessed with overpaid cricketers, a biopic on a former national champion athlete is reason enough to celebrate. But Dhulia's film is much more. It is one of superbly crafted film that underlines the linkage of life, sports and society.

The movie works because Irffan makes Paan Singh Tomar come alive as an athlete, as a husband and as a dacoit. This is a flawless performance from a consummate actor.The beauty of the movie is that it blends the personal with the larger social truths. Tomar may have been running in Tokyo but back home in his village, his family must suffer the same oppression and humiliation as others.

Cast: Irrfan, Mahie Gill, Vipin Sharma
DVD Features:Dolby Digital 5.1,Anamorphic WideScreen,NTSC All Regions, English Subtitles
Direction: Tigmanshu Dhulia

Beginning 1958, Tomar was a seven-time national champion in steeplechase, a grueling athletic event where participants jump over seven water hazards and 28 hurdles while running a distance of 3,000 metres. Born in the dacoit-infested district of Morena, Tomar was an Army jawan too. He didn't run for pleasure; only for better food that athletes were entitled to. How a simple jawan becomes a feared outlaw is the kernel of the film's story.