The Plot In brief
Coach Sampath, a highly esteemed figure witnesses how Mithali battles against a group of boys. Impressed, he convinces her parents to enlist her in his coaching academy. The girl gets called to the national camp. Gradually she becomes everyone’s favourite.
Mithu makes her debut in the Indian colours against Ireland and creates history. At the age of 19, she rewrites the highest individual score in Test Cricket. She eventually became India’s new skipper for the Women’s team.
However, Mithali is disturbed by the present status of the Women’s team which stands in stark contrast to the Men’s Team, who are lauded as heroes. There is no awareness among people about the existence of women cricketers. After a meeting with the higher officials, she understands that they are least interested in the upliftment of Women’s Cricket.
Mithali considered herself a failure for not achieving her dreams. Deserting her dreams, she quits captaincy and goes back to her parents. But with the World Cup nearing, Sukumari, the head coach decides to call Mithali back.
Despite playing their best, they lose to England in the finals. But the grand reception at home turf is unexpected.
The Review
Shabaash Mithu is a well-directed film that exposes how the country treats its female cricketers. Mithali Raj picked up the bat at a time when people cared the least for Women’s Cricket. Hailing from a middle-class family, Mithali had all the opportunities to carve an alternate career. Yet she chose cricket. She believed in a woman’s inherent right to a place in the male-dominated sport.
The film captures her fight for this right. For example, the scene where the women’s team is made to recheck and cast away their luggage while the men’s team are too ‘privileged’ to go through a regular security check. In another instance, a fan gives her phone to Mithali for a picture with a male cricketer. Or the scene where the women crouch behind a bush to pee as there are no washrooms in the venue while a billboard shows the men’s team looking down at them from the other side of the road.
The director not only sketches Mithali’s rise in cricket but also focuses on her personal life – her family, and her training in Bharatanatyam with special emphasis on her childhood. The movie depicts the path less travelled which is also the most difficult one.
The film, unlike other biopics, doesn’t emphasize only her career. Rather, it effortlessly strikes a balance between her personal and professional life. Thus, ensuring that the movie also reaches out to non-sports enthusiasts.
Taapsee Pannu’s acting is the highlight of the movie. She proves to be the right choice for the titular role. Inayat Verma who plays the young Mithali also is a gem.
The footage from the 2017 World Cup is not overdone. The early days of Mithali’s cricketing career have been recreated on real pitches. This serves to prove the hard work and the immense efforts that have happened behind the scenes.
BUT
I did not like the fact that the real names of cricketers were altered.
As a fan of the star cricketer, I was expecting real-life footage of Mithali Raj in the credits section. Sadly, the filmmakers merely reduced the tribute to a team photo. That proved to be disappointing. This is in sharp contrast to what was depicted in movies like “M.S.Dhoni: The Untold Story” and “Kaun Pravin Tambe?”. I feel that a biopic similar to “Sachin: A Billion Dreams” is what fans, like us, need!
The review boils down to the most important question: “Has Women’s Cricket found appreciation at last?” The answer, in my opinion, is still a big NO! Things have definitely changed for good but the matches are not getting views as they should.
It has to be acknowledged that Women’s Cricket in India is forever indebted to Mithali Raj for pioneering the cause for equality on and off the field. She has ensured that the likes of Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana and Shefali Verma can now dream of playing for India and bringing back the lost glory of the nation.
Watch the movie and let us know your opinion.
Dr Danie Joel
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