Dangal
has real meaning but its message doesn't overwhelm. Aamir Khan knows
exactly when to ratchet it up and when to let go. The first-timers shine
and fight for real. Sakshi Tanwar is familiar enough and yet new
enough.
There comes a time when a star gives in to the demands of a role which
he knows will make him not-pretty: as a wanna be wrestler past his prime,
Aamir Khan is squat, with a heavy belly, a deliberate gait, and a
grizzled beard. Only his jutting ears are familiar: the rest of him is
pure character.
We are going to have to measure Aamir Khan’s future performances with
this one: as Mahavir Singh Phogat, failed wrestler, rough-hewn but
caring husband and father of four girls, he scales it up to a point
where you can see the star take on a character, try it for size, and
make it his own.
