Dangal is not a perfect film, but then few films are. It’s overlong at 2 hours and 41 minutes, and it’s both simple and simplistic in places. But it’s a solid and satisfying watch, a well crafted look at what went into the creation of two sporting champions. It’s a film that makes the heart swell… when it isn’t pounding from all the excitement of the bouts.

Yes the film has its flaws. It feels a little bit of a drag and falls flat at certain moments, but we are happy to ignore them, not because their hasn’t been a good film in a while and certainly not because of Aamir Khan, but for what the team brings forth is totally worth it. Go for it.         

Dangal is not just a movie; it is an experience to be cherished. It is extremely engaging, brilliantly entertaining and phenomenally patrio­tic in its feel. It is as much a film for the young as for the old, as much for the classes as for the masses, as much for the city audience as for the viewers in small towns and villages, as much for the rich as for the poor, as much for the multiplex audience as for the single-screen cinema audience, as much for the men as for the women. It has special appeal for the ladies and it has terrific repeat value. To say that it will prove to be a blockbuster is to state the obvious. The film is destined to be one of the biggest blockbusters of Indian cinema. In fact, it can turn out to be THE BIGGEST BLOCKBUSTER EVER!

Go watch Dangal. In a year in which Indian sportswomen lifted the entire country’s spirits with their performances, Dangal is the perfect icing on the cake. You will walk out with a smile on your face, and what better way than that to end the year?

Dangal has all the ingredients of a great sports film and the fact that it is based on a real life story will make you chuckle and tear up alternately throughout the film. Aamir Khan has been associated with quality cinema for decades now and with Dangal, the legacy continues. Aamir delivers a career best performance.

An ex-wrestler channels his ambition for an international gold medal through his daughters and he trains them to fight. A quintessential sports movie, where everyone laughs at Geeta and Babita Phogat when their father pits them against boys in local ‘Dangal’ – a wrestling match, then hold them high when the two sisters win state and national competitions. Brilliant biographical tale that is a must watch.

Rarely does a Hindi film come along that is pleasing on every front – from performances to script to music. And contrary to what people may think, this is not a lecture on women empowerment. It is a film that is entertaining as it is enlightening, and definitely one the whole family can and should watch.

Dangal outdoes Chak De India, only because it’s based on a real story. A ‘poor’ father in Haryana resolves to train his ‘daughters’ in a patriarchal society fighting all odds is indeed inspiring. What’s even more beautiful is the film’s treatment. Not even once it melodramatizes Mahavir’s poverty or his struggles. Its subtle treatment makes Dangal a must watch. So please watch!

Sans the performance, Dangal seems too perfunctory with its sports and biopic tropes that tend to be inspirational and motivational.

Starring Aamir Khan, the film strikes gold primarily because the heavy lifting is evenly distributed among all the actors in this film

Dangal may be confusingly cautious around popular notions on the parental front, but in the matter of sporting achievement it does not mince words: silver is second best, it tells us unequivocally, and there is nothing wrong in aiming for gold. In an India that remains doubtful about the virtues of ambition, in a world that continues to consider ambition a dirty word for women in particular, such clarity is remarkable and inspiring.

Yes, Dangal is a crowd-pleaser. But it also has stellar performances and an engaging story-telling. Aamir is compelling in his role of Mahavir. He annoys you as much as he does his daughters with his strictness as the ‘haanikarak bapu’. He also gets you misty-eyed when he realises his daughter has gone astray. He makes you root for him when he trains Geeta against the diktat of the National Sports Academy, and makes you hoot along with him when his daughter takes on her competitors. All cliched yet entertaining.

When it comes to wrestling, or education, or religion, Aamir Khan knows best. After watching “Dangal”, it is difficult to argue with that.

This is by far the most credible an Indian sport film has ever felt, with even the commentators getting in on the action, giving most of us a tutorial in how to watch the sport.

Dangal teaches us where rainbows lie in wrestling, and while it is a celebration of true greats — and true grit — this isn’t about one sport.

India needs to watch this film for the way it puts the ‘her’ in ‘hero.’

Most Bollywood sports films slow down the action, cut it up, use close-ups to hide the actor as much as possible. Dangal, however, observes large portions of its bouts at a distance, enough for the viewer to realise that they aren’t faking the entire thing. The choreography is tremendous (cinematography by Sethu Sriram), arms hitting bodies and bodies hitting mats with satisfying thwacks and thuds.

Dangal is the best feast on this Christmas and one can’t deny that the film is the best one of 2016. The film is recommended not only to Aamir Khan’s fans but also to the family audience who were awaiting a family drama that is high on emotions.

Dangal is the film of the year for me. It is brave, gritty, honest and has a performance of a lifetime by Aamir. Watch it because I can’t think of a better film that came out this year which got your attention with such intensity. And yes, I loved Sultan as well. But Dangal sort of won my heart over.

This rotund, pot-bellied, subtly expressive Aamir brings the same earnestness to this film as he does to potboilers like ‘Dhoom 3’ or ‘Ghajini’.
He is, as he’s been appearing during Christmas for more than a few years now, the annual Santa Claus spreading cheer among Indian audiences, enticing you to enjoy a fine bout at the dangal, this time, and a wholly enjoyable ride in the theatre, yet again. Don’t think I need to say more. You won’t miss this anyway.

Cream of the crop, Dangal seats itself on the throne among the best in the bag of Bollywood biopics.

Don’t you dare miss it, warna dangal hoga!

Dangal is an apt homage to their spirit. All you must want for Christmas is to watch this movie. This one is to cherish and for the keeps.

Dangal has everything that you’d ask from the perfect Hindi film. Its funny, dramatic, dark, serious, emotional all rolled into one seamless cinematic  gem. It is the movie of the year. A film that deserves a standing ovation. A story so good that it will make you feel like a proud Indian. This is a truly special film. 

DANGAL is not just a film, the finest movie to come out in recent years is an exhilarating experience that sees a conventional sports-movie getting an uplifting arc of women empowerment that penetrates the desire to be a fighter in life irrespective of what gender we belong to, powered by prize winning acts lead by Aamir Khan that can appeal way beyond the lovers of this genre and or the fans of the game of wrestling.

Dangal is inspiring, emotional and spellbinding. It is a ‘Dhakad’ film and a perfect end for 2016!

Every age produces the cinema it deserves, and with its insistence on absolute obedience to an authoritarian figure, Dangal is inadvertently a reflection of our times. Daddy truly does know best, and Dangal harbours no doubt whatsoever that his daughters are wise not to question him.

Dangal is the kind of sports film that usually eludes Bollywood. It knows the rules inside and out and meticulously plays by them without ever succumbing to dreary predictability.

Dangal is an outright winner – a film that will pin you down and keep you in its grip all the way through.

Dangal is one of those few films that discuss strategy and technique in a manner that’s easy and entertaining to grasp. I am not familiar with the sport but by climax point, I could predict the winning move because of how well it was spelt out on earlier in the story.

What evokes sheer awe though is the raw, rough, visceral choreography of the fights, quite a few memorable ones in this 161-minutes long film.

This could be Aamir’s best performance till date. Yes, even better than Lagaan. A man making his daughters chase his dream. He cries, frowns, gets angry, looks old and tired, but is definitely one of us. When he shakes his head helplessly, you see a father in him. When he gets into a brawl, he is the brother you always depended on. When he wants to see you win, you know you have to perform. It’s not just his pride, it’s yours as well.

Aamir Khan’s latest outing has its heart at the right place coupled with stellar performances and engrossing narrative. Book your tickets quickly before the Phogat sisters say ‘Ab Dangal shuru’ or else you will miss all the action and one of the best films of 2016!

Aamir Khan hits it out of the park yet again with another emotional masterpiece!

DANGAL is a masterpiece. A terrific film that stays in your heart and remains etched in your memory much after the screening has concluded. A brilliant film that restores your faith in Hindi cinema. Actually, it won’t be erroneous to state that DANGAL is the finest film to come out of the Hindi film industry in a long, long time and mark my words, it will be remembered as a classic in times to come. It blends drama, emotions, sportsmanship and patriotism extraordinarily… the icing on the cake being Aamir Khan’s towering act. This rich-in-merits film has a major advantage too — the holidays ahead [Christmas and New Year] — which will ensure a glorious run at the ticket counters. A must, must watch!

Aamir Khan-starrer works on the twin parameters – as a straight-forward film about a popular sport and those who play it, and as a strong feminist statement.

It is to the film’s credit that though Geeta and Babita’s wins are documented, it still manages to engage the viewer with the wrestling tournaments and bring patriotic emotions to the fore. Most importantly, Dangal scores with its first-rate performances.