Panga is a motivating and touching tale of a mother making a comeback fighting all odds. Mary Kom had tackled this idea before but it was a small part of the film. Panga is majorly based on this idea and director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and her team of writers do a fine job overall. The film has some heartwarming, funny, emotional and even dramatic sequences that keeps one hooked from start to finish. The finale is predictable and yet one can’t help but get excited for the goings-on. But in other places, the predictability is a bit too much. Also, the Dangal hangover looms large over the film. Length is another problem – or rather the second half is too long, to be precise. Kangana Ranaut however delivers a yet another terrific performance. She understands the part so well and handles it effortlessly, whether it was the part of the mother or the part of the sportsman. Jassie Gill is dependable and his character would surely get a lot of praise. Yagya Bhasin is a big surprise. This child actor gets to mouth some of the best lines in the film. Richa Chadha has an important part and has enough screen time. Her performance as always is smashing and in no way it’s a special appearance. Megha Burman is excellent as Nisha Das and has a very nice screen presence. Neena Gupta and Rajesh Tailang also do well. All in all, Panga is a worth watching film and should grow slowly and steadily not just at the box office but also into people’s hearts!
My rating – *** ½ out of 5!