It is very rare when you see a film and get so touched by it, especially, when it’s a biopic. However, Taapsee Pannu‘s latest film Shabaash Mithu which has released today left me not just inspired, proud, and touched, but also very impressed. Directed by Sritijit Mukherji and produced by Viacom18 Studios, Shabaash Mithu stars Taapsee Pannu spearheading this awe-inspiring story. In all honesty, I have always loved Taapsee for her craft, but in this one, the conviction with which she tells Mithali Raj’s story on the big screen is simply brilliant. The film is a biopic on the life of the legendary Indian women’s cricket captain Mithali Dorai Raj. The way the story has been told in the 2 hours 36 minutes film will not just have an impact on you, but it will also leave you thinking, just like it did for me.
Watch the film’s trailer here:
To be honest, there were a lot of questions that came to my mind after watching the film, why do we call cricket a gentlemen’s game? Why do women always have to prove their talent and yet struggle for basic respect? Why didn’t we acknowledge the brilliance of Mithali Raj, much before we needed to? and many more. But overall, I am glad to have gotten to know this story, for it changed my perspective on life.
Things that I liked about Shabaash Mithu…
1. Taapsee Pannu’s brilliance
As I mentioned above, Taapsee as Mithali is magical. The conviction with which she has played the part is so good that not for a second did I feel that the person I was watching on screen was not Mithali Raj. Also, the emotions that Taapsee has brought out on screen are totally applause-worthy, it’s the vibe that makes the part more appealing, the courage with which she makes her mark in a man’s world, and the confidence with which she conquers hearts, all of this is essayed by Taapsee with utter perfection.
2. Inayat Verma the childhood version of Mithali Raj
If someone pulled heartstrings in the Shabaash Mithu story for almost an hour, it was this little girl who was just so great on screen. Inayat plays the childhood version of Mithali Raj and the innocence, she carries throughout only melted my heart. I was adoring this sweet little girl from doing Bharatnatyam to hitting that ball out of the part literally. In fact, one scene where Inayat absolutely won my heart was when she cut her braid and handed it over to her family as an indication of being interested in playing the sport with proper guidance and training.
3. The story and songs
While Swanand Kirkire, Kausar Munir, and Raghav Kumar add the perfect impact to the film’s story with their wonderful lyrics, the overall plot is also quite nicely panned out. Leaving aside technical aspects, what I loved about Shabaash Mithu was that it is not a sob story, but a story of making a mark, fighting the odds, and winning over obstacles. Seeing a supportive family, and an amazing mentor is also very refreshing to watch.
Things that could have been better:
1. The length of the film
While I understand that a story so brilliant needs a long time to be told also, the length is what also makes the film a little dragged. There are portions which slightly get a little stretched in the film, but then I guess that was the demand of the script.
Other than this, the film is brilliant and I recommend everyone to watch this inspiring story so brilliantly told by Taapsee Pannu.
MM Verdict: 4 stars out of 5