Shabaash Mithu Movie Review: Taapsee Plays Well But Doesn’t Win This Match

Shabaash Mithu Movie Review: Taapsee Pannu makes every character liveable with a realistic panache. And that’s probably the best thing about her performing skills. In Shabaash Mithu, a biopic, she plays the role of one of the most celebrated cricketers in the world – India’s Mithali Raj – and attempts to stay true to Mithu’s journey from Hyderabad to the Lord’s cricket ground in England.Also Read – Taapsee Pannu on Taking 10 Years to Work With Shah Rukh Khan in Dunki: Mere Paas Koi Inside Access Nahi Hai | Exclusive

Directed by national-award-winning filmmaker Srijit Mukherji, Shabaash Mithu narrates Mithali’s journey from a Bharatanatyam dancer as a child, to a dear friend, a sister, a daughter, a devoted player and the youngest captain in the history of international cricket. But does it remain true to what it promises to show? Does the story do justice to a national hero who symbolises the evolution of women’s cricket in India? And does it match the prowess of the actor it stars as the protagonist? Also Read – Exclusive: Mithali Raj Reveals Her Biggest Achievement Off The Field

Shabaash Mithu opens with a close-up shot of Hyderabad’s Charminar and we see Taapsee as Mithali for the first time – panting and coming to the terms with the shoddy reality of women’s cricket in India – where women are given men’s jerseys after the management decides to do the cost-cutting, they are assigned to play 2-3 matches in a year, and where they have no ‘pehchaan.’ Mithali aims to change all of that, and more. As a fantastic player who became the youngest cricketer to play international cricket, there is so much that Mithu achieved on the field. However, the film limits her capabilities and her achievements. Also Read – From Kangana Ranaut to Taapsee Pannu: 5 Actresses With Curly Hair in Bollywood And How They Flaunt Them With Every Look

Shabaash Mithu seems to have been divided into three parts: the childhood where she meets her best friend and discovers her fascination for cricket, the younger days where she struggles to fit into the academy as a rookie player, and the time when she works hard to stay away from the game but realises that cricket is her only calling. One thing that the film clearly establishes is that great players are not born great but they are trained to accept nothing less than greatness. The film’s heart appears to be in the right place. Only this time it just doesn’t prove to be enough. In the rest of the departments, the film falls flat.

Shabaash Mithu is like the same match that Mithali played with all her glory and power but couldn’t win – a missed opportunity that is. The story and the incidents that it weaves, don’t make a coherent package when put together. In more places than one, the film looks a tad bit broken and in some other places, it seems to have been weaved in haste. That’s not the most worrisome part though. Shabaash Mithu underestimates you as a viewer and keeps you trapped in the melodrama more than Mithali’s cricketing moments. Its purpose in showing her fight against patriarchy dissolves the very moment you see her being targetted by her fellow women in the academy – a detail that could have been avoided to serve the larger purpose of beating out misogyny from the field. A scene in the movie features a British journalist asking Mithali about her favourite male cricketer. A furious but graceful Mithali asks him to make a male cricketer answer ‘who is your favourite female cricketer.’ In another world, even the one ridden with Bollywood’s cliche style of storytelling, it would have made for a powerful scene. But, in this film, it provides a caricaturish tone to the story where the emotions look forced and scenes, half-baked.

Mithali has had a privileged childhood where for the longest time, until she lost the 2017 World Cup match in England, her ‘Have Not’ list remained empty. Director Srijit Mukherji keeps that moment in his film. He also establishes Mithali’s bond with her coach Sampath sir (played brilliantly by Vijay Raaz) by having repeated closeups of the Rudraksha chain that proudly sits on her neck. But, even with all these endearing moments at his disposal, the director fails to group them all to give a memorable film for the ages. The saddest part is that Mithali’s life is no less than a filmy story itself but when it actually comes out as a film, it makes you realise that something’s missing at every step of the way. Add to it the untimely songs running in the background and you get the perfect recipe for ruining a heroic story in an attempt to make it look more commercially appealing.

Taapse and Vijay’s performances save the day but not for long. In one of the good scenes right after Mithali faces her first heartbreak, her coach says, “Ye maidan zindagi ki tarah hai, yahan sab dard chhote hain bas khelna bada hai.” Well… only if the writers could play well!

Stars: 2 1/2