While many films achieved success in the recent Golden Globe Awards in early January, the Bollywood blockbuster, Dangal, has been making history, writing its name into all the record books. The film, starring Indian superstar Aamir Khan, won the Best Actor, Best Film and the Best Director awards at the recent Jio Filmfare Awards 2017.
Dangal, literally translated as Wrestling Competition, is a biographical film telling the story of amateur wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat, who when unable to win a medal at the Olympics himself, was determined to train his daughters Geeta and Babita to follow in his footsteps. This is a film about an authoritarian but loving father and his belief in his daughter’s ability. One of the best bits in the film is a scene in which an old over-weight father and a high achieving daughter wrestle. On the face of it, it’s just that – father vs. daughter. But simmering beneath the surface is so much more. This fascinating true life story shows the determination to achieve anything in the face of adversity, and the importance of family and more specifically the relationships between parents and their children.
In real life Geeta Phogat won India’s first ever gold medal in wrestling at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and was the first Indian wrestler to qualify for the Summer Olympics 2012. Meanwhile Babita Phogat came in second to her sister at the 2010 Commonwealth Games winning silver however eventually winning the gold medal at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The film of the year already beat Salman Khan’s drama Sultan to the top spot as Highest Grossing Indian film 2016; however it has broken many more records. It became the highest grossing film on a second Saturday by beating Salman Khan’s Bajrangi Bhaijan to the top spot. It has also achieved the huge feat of beating the record for highest grossing film of all time and at the moment stands at 700 crore or 85 million pounds. With a week left in the cinemas could this film possibly venture where no other film has ever gone and cross the line at 750 crore?
Yet again, it seems that Aamir Khan has stunned us with another spellbounding film which will surely stand the test of time.
By Anya Shah, Bancrofts School
