sHabash Mithu Stands out because no one takes home the cup, but it teaches you that winning a cup is all you need to make you a winner. Directed by Srijit Mukherji, the biopic on former Indian women’s cricket team captain Mithali Raj is not a chest-beating, adrenaline-pumping sports film. In fact, it’s a lot like Raj – quietly leading a team with determination, steady and without lengthy speeches.
Taapsee Pannu is restrained and realistic in her portrayal of the former Indian captain, and manages to bring out her calm flexibility. A clear career from Pannu, who leads the film while being backed by a stellar cast, which includes Vijay Raaz, Brijendra Kala and Mumtaz Sarkar.
women in blue
best thing about Well done Mithu It’s that there are no traditional male protagonists—it’s the female solidarity that drives the narrative.
Mukherjee traces ‘Mithu” journey from dancer to cricketer in a middle-income Tamil family in Hyderabad of the 1990s, uncovering his endearing bond with Noori, (Kasturi Jagnam), which fuels his interest in cricket. until she is discovered by coach Sampath Kumar. Vijay Raj).
Vijay Raj, being brilliant as Raj’s coach, is doing justice to Kumar’s tough-as-nails personality, literally, as Kumar drives tacks through his shoes to keep his foot in the crease while batting. We do.
From four women sitting on the stands of a cricket field in England facing collective obstacles in team building, the film is full of interesting and emotional moments from Raj’s life.
Well done Mithu It also touches on the important issues of privilege and bullying without propaganda. Sampath explains that Mithali comes from privilege, while others in his team, such as Jhorna, Jhulan Goswami and references to many others, come from underprivileged families. Despite being stronger than these teammates, Mithali remains focused on her ‘Women in Blue’ dream, uniting players from all social and financial backgrounds in the process. She captures the first lesson Noori taught her – cricket is friendship.
The film is a glimpse into the struggles of India’s ‘women in blue’ – from lack of matches, pay, quality coaches to jerseys, Well done Mithu Will break your heart and make you angry. And it will look a million times worse because it all happened in real life.
A powerful moment is when four players including Mithali are forced to urinate on the road because there are no toilets for the women playing there. Ironically, he relieves himself next to a poster of the men’s cricket team—a reflection of sexism and prejudice in the Indian sports world.
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Story shines despite dull music, editing
Amit Trivedi’s music interrupts the emotional bits in the film instead of making it impressive. Silence and close-up shots would have been a much better strategy. While the songs are soothing, they are not exactly memorable. Editing could have been more crisp and this makes the film slow and takes away some of its impact.
Although, Well done Mithu Deserves a watch for the beautiful portrayal of the woman who took India to the Cricket World Cup and ensured that women in blue are recognized. Watch it for Taapsee, and for the woman who fought patriarchy in India’s favorite sport.
(Edited by Zoya Bhatti)