MovieNotes: Sultan

Title: Sultan (IMDB)

*ing: Salman Khan, Anushka Sharma, Amit Sadh, Anant Sharma, Randeep Hooda

Language: Hindi (in a Haryanvi accent)

Director: Ali Abbas Zafar

Genre: Sports

Preamble

It's the Eid week, and in the Hindi film industry, that means time for a Salman Khan blockbuster. 

Basic Premise

The movie tells the journey of a happy-go-lucky fellow from the village akhara to international wrestling glory to personal tragedy and finally redemption via participation through a Mixed Martial Arts tournament.

Movie Notes

The Highs

The realistic sporting action sequences, especially in the wrestling part of the movie. The moves and the training scenes can be part of any wrestling documentary as well. The MMA action sequences however does go a bit over the top. Most MMA games wouldn't go that long with that much action. 

Even the training sequences are well choreographed. Like every sports film since 1975, they follow the Rocky template, training not just in the gym but also out in the open. And similar to Rocky's run up the steps, we have Sultan running up Raisina Hills.

The Sultan background tune is really catchy. And the one-liners keep the laughs coming, specially when the characters try to speak in English.

The Lows

The climatic fight has a little too much "melodrama". But then the makers have to take care of their core audience also.

Sultan may all about be Salman Khan but the actor himself is a misfit in the role. Why do the makers have to put in a 50 year old in the role of somebody 20 years younger? 

In today's extremely competitive sporting world, a 30 year old taking up wrestling and going on to become World Champion in a period of 3-4 years? Also taking on somebody in a much higher body-weight, not something any federation would ever allow.

And the Others

Since the success of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, sports as a genre seems to have taken up the fancy of Bollywood. It is a welcome change from the usual romance and/or revenge dramas served up.

The movie is a series of product placements - Tractors, DTH, Ghee, Pressure Cookers, they are all there. Must have recovered a lot of cost in that. It also serves as a big platform for the promotion of MMA fights.

However controlled a performance he gives, Salman Khan's signature dance moves do tend to come out without any notice.

Rating - 8/10. A surprisingly well made film. Outcome vs Expectations on the lines of Bajrangi Bhaijaan.

Previously on MovieNotes - Udta Punjab