Just the right daav

Nonika Singh

Sultan, one of the most-anticipated releases of this year, hit theatres two days prior to the usual release day of Friday. And this is not the only norm that it breaks! In the given Bollywood framework, it pushes the envelope, yet stays within the fold. It takes a few progressive steps, yet is not revolutionary. There is much that is different, yet close to the commercial formula.

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What is refreshing is that the heroine, a wrestler, has brain and brawn, literally a woman of substance. What is not is that she lets family life take precedence over her career. But then this is exactly what a whole lot of Indian women do. Indeed, much in Sultan bills the formulaic and much that defies it. Like all Salman films, the ageing but reigning superstar is the monarch of all that he surveys.

Here he is the Sultan of the wrestling ring with a love story behind his ascent. And here is the teaser. Is Sultan a love story or is it about the sport that has caught India’s attention only recently? Well, Sultan is Sultan, which can’t be clubbed as   this or that. Rather between the usual and the unusual, as Ali Abbas Zafar, the captain of the crew, finds his métier, the net result is an out-and-out-entertainer.

The first half of the film takes you on a joyride through the hinterland of Haryana.  Rib-tickling one-liners delivered in typical Haryanavi abound. Anuskha is fresh, pretty, feisty and delivers a credible performance. Even in moments when you don't quite agree with her decisions, you simply love her. And her chemistry with Salman is rather adorable, if not electrifying. They look great together and rock in songs, which capture the cultural landscape of Haryana with gusto. Much happens before the story hits the interval point. There is love, romance and marriage. 

Yes, like so many of Salman’s previous outings, this one too pitches him as an exceptionally nice guy with muscle power. Mercifully there, are shades to his character and he is not wasting our and screen time simply beating bad guys to the pulp. Come to think of it, there are no bad men out here.

Actually all supporting characters are good fellas like our Sultan. Fights here belong to the sporting arena. And for dramatic tension, there is conflict between the lovers. Only expected, for both are wrestlers. But hey, this is no Abhimaan in the making. So forget professional jealousy.

Actually the twists in the film do not come as any great revelations. You can only see them coming. Yet despite the predictability factor, writer-director Zafar has all your attention. No mean feat for a nearly three hour-long film. Effectively and with felicity, he builds the graph of Sultans’s rise and fall before he can rise again. From a wrestler playing for the nation to a professional wrestler, his journey isn’t epic but memorable nevertheless. Salman keeps cautioning Amit Sadh (a key cameo) to stay clear of melodrama.

But can there be a Salman film sans it? The upside is here everything (Salman has many a moment as an actor too) works rather well. Much in the film, right from frothy dialogues (one even has a reference to his good friend SRK) to performances, click and connect. Despite fights and fights galore, the narrative has an emotional core and never loses sight of tugging at your heartstrings.

And it's not just the love story between Arifa (Anuskha) and Sultan that forms its sentimental backbone. Be it  Kumud Mishra as Arifa’s father and Sultan’s coach or his bright-eyed best friend (Anant Sharma)  tailing him like a shadow or Randeep Hooda (special appearance) as his martial arts coach… all  make you feel for and root for Sultan. Not just the character but also the film. 

Go for it even if you are not a Salman fan.  For Sultan stands on its own merit as a paisa vasool film with many a heart-warming moments. Of course, with Salman’s star power, the magnetic pull is raised by many notches. A perfect Eid outing. Salman may not be a king of words as the unfortunate ‘rape’ remark has proved, but certainly is a sultan of magical entertainers.