Director: Neeraj Pandey
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Kiara Advani, Disha Patani, Bhumika Chawla, Herry Tangri
When a director decides to pick a subject like M.S.Dhoni, it is certainly a very big responsibility. The legendary cricketer has proved to the world his class as a player and the achievements of being the most successful captain of India. But for a filmmaker to bring all of that on the big screen can only be fruitful if he is able to convince the audience and justify the cricketer’s untold story.
This film is a sincere effort to tell the story about the cricketer from a humble background to being one of the best cricketers the game has ever seen. And as the name suggest, the film is an untold story, highlighting the unknown facets of Dhoni’s life.
Sushant’s portrayal of the cricketer is top notch. You can actually see shades of the real cricketer in the reel performance. By this, I don’t mean aping of the helicopter shot but the mannerism, the way he handles situations and his expressions. As an actor, he gets all the traits right.
In the film, director Neeraj’s focus area of Dhoni’s life is from the time he is born to his team lifting the World Cup title in 2011. The untold story highlights Dhoni’s struggle with his father ( Anupam Kher), the financial challenges and the frustration for not being able to make it to the Indian team. Screenplay by Neeraj Pandey and Dilip Jha is very engaging in the first half of the film. They track all the aspects of his life while stressing over the talking points of his life.
Disha Patani and Kiara Advani both have small roles but important ones. Disha ( Priyanka Jha) plays Sushant’s love interest and her track has an dramatic twist. She looks effortless and impresses with her little screen time. Kiara plays Sakshi Dhoni and her chemistry with Sushant is good.
There are many scenes that make a difference and they stand out in the film. Sushant’s struggle at Kharagpur junction as a TC, his scenes with his father, the first time he meets Priyanka Jha, his comic timing with his friends, all stands out and gives a closer view of the cricketer’s life.
The movie ends on a high with Dhoni’s six at Wankhede stadium and it does give you goosebumps. Tight screenplay and good performances makes this one a good watch.
