'Panga' movie review: Story of a woman rising above domesticity

Panga
Rating: 3.5/5
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Richa Chadda, Jassie Gill
Director: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari
Language: Hindi (U)

In Panga, Kangana Ranaut pulls off a neat balancing act between ‘where-I-stand’ and ‘what-I’m-capable-of.’

Domesticity is the only villain in this beautiful sports drama. The husband who offers support (played by Jassi Gill, and one to die for), the neighbourhood aunty who volunteers to babysit, colleagues who alert you to the boss’s mood — Panga is all goodwill and feel-good.

And that’s exactly why the tug of war is more pronounced for Kangana, the kabaddi-player-turned-mom who wants to embrace the sport again. She loves her husband. She dotes on her son. She cherishes her domestic life.

Yet there is a void waiting to be filled with the happiness of pursuit. And here, Kangana embarks on her journey with her Man Friday, who in fact is a woman (Richa Chadha, never a dull moment).

A sore thumb comes in the form of the couple’s seven-year-old child with the wisdom of a 70-year-old. Cute, yes, but seems like he was born under a Bodhi tree.

Kangana comes up trumps as the helpless mother torn between two worlds. As a railway clerk confined to the ticket counter and a roti-making machine in the kitchen, she is spot on as the woman trying to reclaim her dream.

There is no overt patriotism or over-the-top reactions from the Indian kabaddi team either. It’s a natural show all the way. A domestic bliss and an achiever mom sure make for an overwhelming partnership. And a tricolour at the end seals the deal.