iljit Dosanjh as Sandeep Singh is spot on. And that is the film’s biggest triumph. Whenever Dosanjh is on screen, we are with him.

Soorma doesn’t rouse as much as it should. It doesn’t stop to feel its own heart beat. It tick-marks all the boxes and explores none. The goalposts are broadened – it drags home the same age-old clichés, and flicks our sensibilities by the wayside.

Considering the fact that Singh – an Arjuna awardee – created a world record for the drag flick, led the Indian national hockey team, and have 2012 Summer Olympics to his credit, the hockey matches shot for Soorma lack the power of international games. Since most of the viewers have watched Chak De! India and are aware of its impact, you are bound to miss the frenzy.

Soorma has good intentions but not sufficient emotional heft.

Soorma doesn’t attempt to probe beyond the obvious, even if you don’t know the real story. With 131-minute duration, Soorma presents Sandeep as the ultimate boy scout. A tinge of reality wouldn’t have hurt.

Soorma is more drag than flick, a hockey film sans genuine impetus. It is nowhere near the league of Chak De India despite telling a story that is no less intense than a wrongly victimized coach’s struggle for redemption. Come to think of it, the Shimit Amin film was made over a decade ago. Why hasn’t the Mumbai movie industry delivered another sports drama quite that good? The reason is obvious: Bollywood just doesn’t do sports well. Its rules militate against the genre. Soorma, a wasted opportunity, demonstrates why and how.

Soorma is more a drag than a flick. It is a shame because this was Bollywood’s chance to regale the audience with an inspiring story of a sportsman, whose return to hockey after a life-threatening incident was nothing less than miraculous. The film falls supremely short of harnessing dramatic potential and is just another hackneyed run-of-the-mill biopic. A champion is turned into a colourless Bollywood hero.

All said and done, despite remarkable performances by everyone Soorma is a disappointment as a movie. The story of Sandeep Singh needed a detailed narration which gets narrowed down to a paper-thin plot in Soorma. Watch it just for Diljit Dosanjh, Taapsee Pannu & Vijay Raaz.

Diljit Dosanjh is lovable in a biopic that’s not as inspiring as the true story it draws on…

Diljit Dosanjh’s Soorma has it’s moments and the actor-singer puts in an earnest performance. You will fall in love with his extremely supportive uncle and parents. However, given the fact that Sandeep is not as widely known as some other Indian sportsmen (read cricketers), a more fleshed out story would have been far more engrossing.