Mary Kom movie review: Priyanka Chopra delivers a powerful performance.

Mary Kom is a biographical sports film based on the life of Indian boxer MC Mary Kom also known as Magnificent Mary.

There was never a doubt that her story needs to be told. It indeed is an inspiring one. Omung Kumar tries hard to recreate it on celluloid.

Critic’s Rating: 3.5/5

Cast: Priyanka Chopra, Sunil Thapa, Darshan Kumar

Direction: Omung Kumar

Genre: Biopic

Duration: 2 hours 3 minutes

Rating: 4/5
There’s a tip that we’re frequently given before going to watch a Bollywood movie: “leave your brain at home” to enjoy the experience. Omung Kumar’s Mary Kom is one of those titles. Ignore reality, turn a blind eye to the messages that the film unwittingly conveys and dismiss details like how painted-on Priyanka Chopra’s freckles look, and Mary Kom is not a terrible waste of money.

Story

Mary Kom’s father is against her taking up boxing because she may spoil her face but she goes against his wishes and and takes up boxing. At one point he tells her to choose between him and boxing and Mary Kom chooses boxing. She learns quickly under the guidance of her coach M Narjit Singh (Sunil Thapa). Soon she goes from winning one title to making India and her family proud.

Her coach abandons her when she decides to marry her friend who has been a great support. He is angry as he knows that after marriage she will focus on her family life and boxing will take a back seat and that’s exactly what happens. Mary Kom is blessed with two kids and gradually she is becoming a forgotten hero. It hits her when she is traveling by bus and the child sitting opposite her talks about Mary Kom but does not recognize her.

With the help of her supportive husband who does everything possible to get her back in the fighting ring she makes a comeback.

The story is predictable from the word go and there are absolutely no surprise elements. A lot could have been done with such a strong protagonist but the director doesn’t experiment.

The best part about the film is the casting. Priyanka Chopra has worked hard to get into the skin of the character and it shows. In fact it’s tough to imagine any other Bollywood actress to pull it off the way she has. Even her coach played by Sunil Thapa and her husband in the film, actor Darshan Kumar put in sincere efforts from their side. Director Omung Kumar managed to get great performances out of these actors but didn’t manage to pump in soul in the legendary tale of an Indian boxer who is a world champion.

A film on sports has to have the right music but Shashi – Shivamm’s music doesn’t do the trick. It’s not bad but could have been much better.

What’s hot:

Priyanka is a revelation, she never fails to surprise! Just when you thought she can’t push the boundaries after Barfi!, came Mary Kom to prove you wrong! PC doesn’t just take on the role of Mary she becomes Mary. She is certainly one actor who doesn’t do a half-baked job when it comes to delivering a performance. But credit must also be given to Kumar for making Mary Kom an authentic narrative by paying attention to minute details like clothes, props and locations in the film. Special mention to Sunil Thapa who plays PC’s trainer in the film for his performance is engaging. Darshan Kumar as Mary’s husband K Onler Kom does a decent job for his debut but gets overshadowed in every frame he shares with Priyanka. The music is spot on. Kumar plays the national anthem right at the end of the movie leaving you high on patriotic sentiment.

What’s not:

While the pace of the plot is satisfactory it runs the risk of being sketchy at times. During the first half it moves back and forth in time making the narrative a tad bit jarring. It almost seems as if viewers are being made to rush through the story without pausing and pondering at certain places. It isn’t exactly unethical but the director largely depends on the audience’s patriotic sentiment to evoke the response he needs. The heavy doses of drama with a dash of Bollywood romance makes this bio-drama slightly distance itself from reality at times. Awkward product placement in the movie stands out as a sore thumb. Notwithstanding these loopholes, Mary Kom, the inspirational drama will prove to be a huge crowd-puller of the season, and rightly so.

What to do:

Box your way to the nearest theatre if you have to because PC has won our gold medal for this one!

By Shamim Noorani.