The Aamir-Khan starrer assiduously inspires the new India to aspire, succeed. This is India's truly chak de saga. We must build on this aspiration
The release of Dangal could not have been timed better. It is beamed across Indian theatres at a time when a political wrestling of a unique kind is at full display in the Hindi heartland. And call it a queer coincidence, the Supreme Court has given a rap on the knuckles to those who try and vitiate the spirit of sports. loaded with fine messages, the zero-blink film is a fine celebration of Indian dreams and aspirations. It yet again brings to fore the significance of cinema as a transformative tool and an instrument of triggering social and behavioral change. Dangal is far more than a movie — it’s a call for action for change.
In a country where discourse on the rural and its teeming millions are vanishing with rapid pace, the Aamir Khan starrer nicely brings to fore the tribulations and triumphs of the small India. It highlights the anxiety of fathers like Mahavir Singh Fogat who are forced to shun their passion for want of financial constraints, yet continue to dream. In Fogat, Aamir plays a stern father, stickler to rule and discipline and ensures a rigid training schedule for his daughters. like millions of failed Indian fathers, Aamir imposes his aspirations on his daughters and goes all out to ensure that they achieve what he could not — a medal for his country.
There are four distinct message that one carries back after watching this intense film. First and foremost is the message on protecting and nurturing the girl child. Despite having made all-round progress in various aspects of our social and economic lives, we continue to allow some regressive values to persist in our society. That still a large number of Indians believes that having a girl in a family is akin to a curse, speaks volumes about the need to continue to hammer the mindset issue. One indicator for this is the sex ratio — Europe has 1,076 women per 1,000 men, North America has 1,029, while we have 927. In his celebrated essay, The Many Faces of Gender Inequality, Nobel laureate Amartya Sen wrote about how availability of technologies was making it possible for many to go in for sex-selective abortion, highlighting the natality inequality prevalent in India.
Sen termed this as hi-tech sexism. Over the years, while we have done well to devise strong laws to curb the practice of neonatal sex determination, at a social and cultural level, the bane unfortunately continues. In the midst of a new campaign to save the girl child through the Prime Minister’s Beti Padhao, Beti Bachao initiative, Dangal effectively reiterates the need to treat girls at par with boys, for they are both equally capable. It is heartening to see Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand making this film tax-free and thereby highlighting the strong social message it carries for its audiences.
Two, the virtue of discipline too is nicely captured in this biographical sports drama film. The life of Geeta Phogat — India's first female wrestler to win gold at Commonwealth Games 2010 in 55 kgs category — and Babita Kumari, who won silver at the same event in 51 kgs category wrestling — is an iconic tale of how adherence to discipline is a surest way to success. Three, the film also teaches us not to stop yearning. Fogat was dejected after he had to discontinue wrestling but yet he did not stop dreaming; vowed to realise it through his daughters, and did it finally.
And lastly, for an ever aspirational India and its highly talented youth which finds newer platforms including TV shows like India’s Got Talent, the movie does well to reinforce the premium the society places on success. The aspirational quest of the small India or India of villages is palpable. What Dangal does most certainly is to assiduously inspire this India to aspire, succeed. Dangal is India’s spirited Chak De saga.
(The writer is strategic communications professional)