you don’t understand why people can sing and dance… eh! Well, I may be digressing from the topic but why not be fair? If you commit a crime by downloading our effort, download theirs as well. Summed up well by Nawazuddin Siddiqui, this is a film about a man and a mountain; you won’t get the same kind of depth on your laptop.Based on the true story of Dashrath Manjhi (The Mountain Man), Director Ketan Mehta’s movie is about a poor labourer from Gehlaur in Bihar who carved a path through a mountain with just a hammer and chisel. It took him twenty two years.
Dashrath (Nawazuddin Siddiqui) is a lower-caste poor labourer who returns to his village after seven years in Dhanbad; observes things are still the same. He falls in love with Phaguniya (Radhika Apte) only to learn that she is the same girl he was married to when they were children. A common man with no other aim in life other than loving his beautiful wife, Dashrath’s life takes a disturbing turn when his 
wife slips from a mountain and dies. The nearest hospital is far away and Dashrath fails to save her. Thus, begins what our hero calls a ‘dangal’ (wrestling) between a man and a mountain. Dashrath decides to break the mountain and pave a way in order to shorten the distance between his village and the nearest hospital.
Ketan Mehta chooses to tell the story of an unsung hero and he does it quite brilliantly. ‘Manjhi’ begins with a lot of promise, does lose steam midway but delivers post-interval till the end. It is a small film with a heart. There isn’t any fancy locations as it is mostly shot on a rugged mountain. However, it is also a love story of which not much was known by the film-maker, hence imagined a bit. What doesn’t work are the few unneeded songs here. Also the Naxalite episode is too abrupt. Even at two hours, the movie feels a little long perhaps because there are a few sub-plots in the first half. But ‘Manjhi’works because of good story-telling and compelling performances.
Dashrath Majhi
Nawazuddin is exceptional again. Here is an actor par excellence who has made it all by himself and there are very few like him in the film industry. He plays Manjhi as a lover who turns a little crazy but determined and gives us another fine performance. Radhika Apte is a talented actress who should be given more good roles. Here, she doesn’t have much of screen time but shines. Tigmanshu Dhulia is okay. Deepa Sahi as Indira Gandhi is good. The supporting cast is adequate.
Watch it or not: Absolutely! And if the pirated version is on download right now in your laptop, delete it. This is a story worth watching on the silver screen.
At the Box Office: While ‘Manjhi’ will face no competition from Abhishek Bachchan starrer ‘All Is Well’, the fact remains the pirated copies were leaked a fortnight back. Even then, I expect it to recover its costs. It isn’t a massy movie but it should be well-promoted in interiors. Relatability in these centres should work in its favour.
My Verdict
4
As Manjhi puts it in the movie- 'Shaandaar Jabardast Zindaabaad!', this movie is a gem for the sheer reason that it tells you a simple true story worth telling. If you ask me, this is Director Ketan Mehta's best work so far after 'Mirch Masala'.
