Review of the Biopic on Mary Kom

Mangte Chungneijang, famous as just Mary Kom or MC Mary Kom is a five times World Champion, an Olympic Bronze medallist, and recipient of Padma Shri, Arjun Award and Padma Bhushan. From a small village (Kangathei) in the much-neglected Manipur, Mary Kom achievements go far beyond her village, State and even country. She is indisputably India's biggest sportsperson. A biopic on this wonderful daughter of India is much appreciated, thank you.

Produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Viacom 18, Priyanka Chopra plays Mary Kom in the movie. Priyanka is a very talented actress and one of her greatest abilities is to become the character rather than remain an actress play a character, or worse just remain herself in every role. As Mary Kom, Priyanka does a sincere job. But alas! The script let's down both, the athlete and the actress.

Mary Kom's is an inspiring story indeed. It has courage and struggle. It has tears and victories. It is rich, ready material for a scriptwriter...but in this case the scriptwriter fails stupendously. The scriptwriter is unable to capture the trials, tribulations and triumphs of Mary Kom. The scriptwriter completely fails to make Mary Kom a person for whom the audience feels or connects with. If you remember Chak De India, by the time the girls of Team India get their act together and start winning, the audience is clapping with each choreographed move and goal. The audience is involved with the game, the players and the outcome. In Mary Kom, the boxer's story is easily more fraught with drama than the fictional girls of Chak De India but the audience is not drawn into it.

If the scriptwriter failed to do justice to Mary Kom, the director matches him in very poorly executed sequences and narration. This movie could have so done without the Bollywood-type melodrama (Like the scene where her father has a sudden change of heart and encourages a losing Mary Kom on TV and suddenly, in some other country, Mary Kom turns around her match. Or the other instance where Mary Kom is practically knocked-out and her son's heartbeat stops and then miraculously both come roaring back and Mary Kom wins her fourth World Championship).

The only person who does justice to the boxer is the actress. Priyanka tries hard and manages to hold the sorry movie together but she has very little support from the backend. Mary Kom surely deserved a better tribute. She deserved a movie that made her as proud as she has made India.

However, do see this movie as a tribute to the legend (Mary Kom is probably the only boxer in the world who returned to the sport after becoming a mother and then winning the World Championship and also an Olympic medal). Do see the movie in appreciation for Priyanka Chopra's effort.