Soorma is a praiseworthy film to watch once due to Diljit Dosanjh’s proficient act and inspiration !!

Nowadays, biopic has become an idea of success in Bollywood. Now, we have Soorma, based on the inspiring story of a fatally injured hockey player who made a comeback against all odds, and won.

 

Film Soorma, a biopic on former India captain Sandeep Singh and perhaps the fastest drag-flickers in the world, prefers to stay away from controversies and focusses instead on the love-story. A small-town boy from Haryana, Sandeep (Diljit Dosanjh) gets serious about playing hockey quite late in life, but that doesn’t stop him from earning the India cap within two years. He is naturally gifted and self-trained, but the real motivation behind his game is Harpreet (Taapsee Pannu), a member of the India women squad.

 

Director Shaad Ali spends the entire first half in the making of his hero, but he keeps it light with small town moments and innocent reveries between the lead pair. Of course, the movie only takes a serious turn right before the interval, post which the story evolves into an emotional roller coaster.

 

After Udta Punjab, Soorma is the film that truly belongs to Diljit Dosanjh’s potential in Bollywood. He captures every frame and nuance of the character energetically and naturally. While his hockey skills come across as believable, what’s truly inspiring is his understanding of the depth of his character. He plays character with sheer ease - a charmer as the shy, innocent, bumbling lover and mesmeric as the sportsman.

 

Taapsee Pannu’s act is praiseworthy. She matches moves adequately with Dosanjh, but you wish she had more to do as a player in her own right. In the supporting cast, Angad Bedi as Bikramjeet Singh (Sandeep’s elder brother) is brilliant. He shows the restrain and heft required for his character. Kulbhushan Kharbanda and Satish Kaushik are good as well.

 

The movie offers many situational songs, but the soundtrack of film is an average one with a few tuneful numbers.

 

So there is a clear lack of drama, no major highs and deep lows that makes one wonder about the feasibility of Soorma as a sports film. But, Shaad Ali’s tale goes easy on the theatrics focusing more on the real turn of events, which have enough potential to motivate. Director Shaad Ali pulls the strings the moment Soorma starts looking like a sports movie. He wants to keep the focus on a heartbroken hockey player’s boy-to-man journey. Sandeep’s hockey never comes to the forefront. Shaad Ali tells us his achievements in as many words. It’s a simplistic approach that maybe lacks the essence of real-life effort and struggles. It’s more like an inspirational story than a biopic.

 

Overall, Soorma is a praiseworthy film to watch once due to Diljit Dosanjh’s proficient act and inspirational narrative.