'Shabaash Mithu' review: Taapsee Pannu's film hits a few fours, sticks to singles mostly

Sports biopics usually have a set template. You have a protagonist who is gifted and talented from childhood. Someone sees a spark and nurtures that talent for a few years. The protagonist in his journey faces multiple hurdles, in form of rivalry, injury, and opposition from family but ultimately manages to outshine and prove his or her worth in the climax of the film. Srijit Mukherji's latest, Shabaash Mithu' follows the template to the tee. But does it leave a lasting, defining impression? Only in parts.

Based on former Indian Women's Cricket team captain Mithali Raj's life, 'Shabaash Mithu' pans out over 162 minutes and describes her early life, her induction into cricket, her influences in life and her rise in International cricket. The story is a familiar one- primarily because Raj is a celebrated name in sports in the country and also because the 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup is still fresh in everyone's memory. A tournament in which Raj led as a captain for the Indian team and played stupendously well, compelling the country to sit up and take notice of the women's cricket team in India.

The moments that stand out in 'Shabaash Mithu'

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When the story is all too familiar, the challenges multiply for a storyteller. Written by Priya Aven, the film's screenplay thrills in moments with the beginning being the most promising and poignant. It has Pannu as Raj standing in front of a few seated men, presumably officials of the cricket board, asking for a few basic rights for her and her team. The pompous official (Bajendra Kala) promptly calls a peon over to the conference room and asks him to name a few women cricketers as he gushes about the sport. The scene is abruptly cut short and the narrative then goes back in time to show how a young Mithali (played by Inayat Verma) was introduced to the game of cricket by her feisty, tom-boyish friend Noor. The two were Sachin and Kambli to each other and played cricket in a secret hideout every day after their Bharatnatyam practice. During one such game, cricket coach Sampath (Vijay Raaz) spots the two and their talent, convinces Raj's family and brings them under his tutelage.

The scenes of the two young girls, dressed in skirts and with flower adorning their braids, playing gleefully a game that mostly is played by young boys in gullies across the country are the most heartening scenes of the film. Beautifully written and well performed, they put an instant smile on one's face.

The other scene that stands out is the one where the Indian women's cricket team goes to appeal for basic amenities and jerseys of their names in front of a few officials at CAI (basically BCCI) and after being rebuked, they introduce themselves one by one by taking off the jerseys which do not have their name tags. It is a defining moment in the film and one that stays with you for a long time.

The performances in 'Shabaash Mithu'

Raj and her team fought for respect not only from the cricketing board but also from the entire nation. Certain scenes highlight how we perceived women cricketers vis-a-vis their male counterparts and how the women changed it to a great extent with their stupendous performance at the 2017 Women's Cricket World Cup.

While the film has such poignant moments- in totally it doesn't add up. Maybe because the film's lead actor, Taapsee Pannu has overexposed herself playing sports characters. This is Pannu's third sports film. She has played a hockey player and an athlete in the past- both the character arcs were similar andso in this film, there is a sense of Deja Vu when one sees Pannu donning a similar character who goes through similar trials in life.

There is also Momtaz Sorcar, who plays a character loosely based on cricketer Jhulan Goswami. Sorcar usually has a very strong screen presence but here her role is limited. Nevertheless, she manages to create an impression. The other actress who delivers is Shilpi Marwaha who plays Taapsee's competitor and senior in the team. Marwaha is understated in her performance as Sukumari Marwa and her scenes with Taapsee are special.

I found a major 'Chak De! India' hangover throughout the film. The film remains perhaps one of the best sports films in India and certain scenes in 'Shabaash Mithu' seem to be heavily inspired by Shimit Amin's film, especially the locker room scene where Taapsee delivers a pep talk to her teammates. The scene is supposed to give goosebumps to the audience or make them emotional, but due to lacklustre writing, falls flat.

What does not work in 'Shabaash Mithu'

When the template is already set, it is ultimately upon the makers how to make the predictable story engaging. One can dramatise it, or write a screenplay that provides impressive catchy dialogues or add plot points to make a story compelling, but 'Shabaash Mithu' remains a middling affair throughout.

Considering this is the first film on women's cricket and its stars, 'Shabaash Mithu' could have been a defining film and done wonders. It could have evoked a sense of curiosity among sports enthusiasts to look up and read more about the women cricketers of the country. Instead, the film leaves a middling effect on viewers, where the story, the performances and the climax of the film- all seem too predictable.

It is a well-intended film which tells an important story- but don't expect it to you give you an adrenaline rush that films of this genre usually give.