Shabaash Mithu stars Taapsee Pannu, Vijay Raaz, Inayat Verma and others. Written by Priya Aven, the movie is directed by Srijit Mukherji. The cinematography is by Sirsha Ray with A Sreekar Prasad’s editing. The music is by Amit Trivedi, and Salavafe Audio Collective has given the background score. The runtime of the movie is 163 minutes.
The synopsis reads, “The movie based on Mithali Raj’s life journey – her experiences growing up in the realm of women’s cricket. It depicts her challenges and triumph in women’s cricket.”
Shabaash Mithu Review: Plot Summary
Shabaash Mithu starts by showing us the childhood of Mithali Raj (Inaayat Varma) and how she gets introduced to the world of cricket. As a kid, she was a Bharatnatyam student. But in no time, cricket becomes her passion, her only ambition. Enters coach Sampat, played by Vijay Raaz, who notices Raj’s potential and trains her. Mithali’s dedication and talent and Sampat’s trust in her turn her into the best woman cricketer in Hyderabad.
Taapsee Pannu takes over the screens as a teenage and then adult Mithali Raj, who is ready to show the world what women are capable of as cricketers. However, creating a mark in the male-dominated game is not easy. But Raj is determined. She falls, yet she gets up and follows the path she had chosen from the beginning. Because of Mithali and her team, we have people using the term ‘Women in Blue’.
Shabaash Mithu Review: Discussion and Performances
The first half of Shabaash Mithu starts on an amusing note, capturing all your attention in the story. Inaayat Varma is adorable as child Mithali. It’s her friend Noori who plays a key role in making Raj fall in love with cricket. The writer-director has presented us with an engaging childhood-to-teenage backstory of the cricketer.
The entire first half is fast-paced and sucks you completely into the world of Mithali Raj and her cricketing journey. I am not even bothered with the dramatisation of some scenes because that appears apt to the challenges she faced. The issues appear in the second half. The second half is lengthy, isn’t impactful enough and has many dramatised sequences.
Another issue with the second half of director Srijit Mukherji’s Mithali Raj biopic is the abrupt addition of songs to elevate the drama/emotions in the scenes. While I enjoy songs adding more depth and meaning to movie sequences, they take away the charm of storytelling when they are forced.
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The second half is stretched to such an extent that you are impatient to see something significant to happen. We finally get to see the 2017 World Cup sequences, which keep us on the edge of our seats. But it’s a long, I mean, a long wait till there. We have to watch a lot of drama unfold until we reach the second half’s better part. These matches helped Mithali Raj’s ‘Women in Blue’ to get recognition in a sport that men dominated for decades.
Taapsee Pannu is an exceptional actor and does her job well as Mithali Raj. But the screenplay didn’t give her a space to show her versatility to its fullest. She had to do more physical acting. Sometimes, there were hardly any lines for the actor. Vijay Raaz does a good job in the short time he appears on the screen. Inaayat Varma wins you with her cuteness and performance.
Shabaash Mithu Review: Final Thoughts
Overall, Taapsee Pannu starrer has done a decent job in telling us the inspiring story of ‘Women in Blue’ through Mithali Raj’s lenses. The first half keeps you glued to the screen. It’s the second half where the story struggles in many areas. It can be watched one-time in theatres.
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