mary kom movie review in english

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Mary Kom Movie Review

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Monte Carlo and Mary Kom: Feel the passion an...

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Harry Potter 897 days ago

Best inspirational movie

ghrtnikita 1071 days ago

It is a fantastic movie i seen ever

Durgesh k 1411 days ago

Very inspiring story

Durgesh 1411 days ago

very inspiring movie

Nandini 1 1411 days ago

Very inspiring movie but lead actress should be someone else

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Priyanka Shines In Tribute To India’s One In A Billion Baby

Mary Kom is more about a person who despite facing all odds becomes the world’s número uno through passion, ‘zidd’ and ‘paagalpan’.

Despite being a sports blogger and ardent follower of India in non-cricket big events, I hung my head in shame while analyzing India’s prospects for Asian games 2010. It was for the first time I became aware of Mary Kom. By which time she had been bestowed the title of ‘Magnificent Mary’, won five World Championship golds, nurtured two lovely babies, survived a near tragedy, fought poverty, federations and odds to be one of India’s living sports legends.

Two years later she added an Olympic medal to her glorious tally. But till date, India hardly knows her, barely recognizes her and most will struggle to put a finger on Manipur’s coordinates in a blank map of India.

This story had to be told. The opening scene of SLB’s Mary Kom portrays the apathy of a three time world champion staying in a dilapidated house, walking over muddy dirty lanes, in torrential rain, in search of transport, to reach the hospital and deliver her babies.

Instantly, I wished instead of an inspiring movie fighting opponents, Omung Kumar had made a Paan Singh Tomar – mirroring the nation and society which refuses to acknowledge sportsmen. Racist attacks against people from the North East have made headlines recently, indicating deep seated ignorance about this part of our country.

Priyanka gives her best performance to assure none could have done better. If word of mouth spreads, it will be only be for her. She will make it to all the annual awards contenders list, but likely will remain unfortunate as pitted against Queen Kangana. Kudos also to Bollywood for giving us the year’s fifth women centric film – Highway, Bobby Jasoos and Mardaani being the others.

The nature of boxing as a sport has great ingredients for a revenge movie, which Hollywood has cashed upon well – Million Dollar Baby to Cinderella Man to Rocky series. Bollywood’s answer so far had been Boxer, Apne and Ghulam . The last mentioned is a better product than Mary Kom.

This story is more about a person despite facing all odds becoming the world’s número uno through passion, ‘zidd’ and ‘paagalpan’ . Unfortunately the odds aren’t highlighted enough, nor are the victories celebrated much. The movie has less ‘lump in throat’ or ‘heart pounding’ moments, as could have been made. We see most of what already came in the newspapers. The surprise factor, the shock element is missing. Her struggles, parents’ sacrifices and boxing rivalries deserved more depth and screen time, although that would have compromised on pace.

The preparation scenes are great and Priyanka towers over every situation effortlessly. The makers keep the surroundings realistic and efforts to give the protagonist a local look – slightly bloated cheeks to make the eyes smaller, freckles, thicker lips and flatter chest – work well.

Mary Kom the boxer, meanwhile, is preparing for Olympics 2016 undeterred, runs a fight club for ladies self-defense and not a patch of a celebrity when compared to Sania Mirza or even some male boxers. Blame it on the government, media and ignorance. She received two crore rupees from various ministries after her 2012 Olympic medal.

Hence, thank you Omung, Sanjay, Priyanka and here’s wishing Magnificient Mary the very best for Rio 2016.

Go watch it and take your daughters along.

Box Office Prospects : India’s best women centric movie, Queen , started poorly and after word of mouth labored to 97 crores. Word of mouth will hold key for Mary Kom , and likely it will end up grossing around the 50-70 crore mark, although I wish it touches triple digits.

(Exactly what #MaryKom depicts) “U cannot play a game half-heartedly. A game is life at full throttle r u game” @SadhguruJV @priyankachopra — Kiran Bedi (@thekiranbedi) September 6, 2014

#MaryKom is about a person despite facing all odds becoming the world’s número uno through passion & ‘zidd’. #Film http://t.co/HxNZOwrP0x — Learning&Creativity (@LearnNCreate) September 8, 2014

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The main reason why Mary Kom appeals is because it doesn't just give you a ringside view of boxing; it leaves you rooting for our sportsmen who have put India on the world map.

Mary Kom Movie Review

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Mary Kom Trailer

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Harry Potter 897 days ago

Best inspirational movie

ghrtnikita 1071 days ago

It is a fantastic movie i seen ever

Durgesh k 1411 days ago

Very inspiring story

Durgesh 1411 days ago

very inspiring movie

Nandini 1 1411 days ago

Very inspiring movie but lead actress should be someone else

8 weight loss-friendly spring salads to try

Suhana Khan sets the internet abuzz with her stylish pictures from Milan trip

A dead plant that comes back to life immediately when dunked in water

​10 delightful quirks of Indian parenting​

Best pics of Bhojpuri celebs this week

10 animals with the weirdest names

​Malaika Arora's stunning red carpet looks spark style envy​

Sreeleela's charming fashion to make your summer more comfy

8 unmissable Shimla experiences this summer

How to make South Indian-Style Curd Rice at home

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• This film marks the first collaboration of uncle-nephew duo Anil Kapoor and Arjun Kapoor. Arjun is the son of Anil’s brother Boney Kapoor.
• This is the second time Arjun Kapoor is playing a double role, the first being Aurangzeb (2013).
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Movie review by Anupama Chopra: Priyanka shines in Mary Kom

Despite some flaws, mary kom is a worthy attempt. the film has sincerity and has been crafted with care. apart from mary herself, it gives us a terrific male role model — onler, who encouraged mary to return to boxing while he looked after their twin sons..

What powers the film is a remarkable performance by Priyanka Chopra.

There’s been a lot of chatter about debutant director Omung Kumar’s decision to cast a glamorous Bollywood star who looks nothing like the actual Mary. This could have gone horribly wrong, but Priyanka meets the challenge head-on. Her shoulders and arms are sculpted to look lethal. Her face is a fierce combination of rage and vulnerability.

In one scene, the selectors unfairly reward her opponent and Mary throws a chair at them. You can feel her frustration and hurt.

Omung also wisely surrounds Priyanka with largely unknown actors who contribute immensely in creating a convincing texture. Darshan Kumar as Mary’s husband Onler, Robin Das as her father and Sunil Thapa as her coach are very good. Though the film wasn’t actually shot in Manipur, Omung creates a believable world.

Where Mary Kom falters is in the screenplay. Biopics by design are about the highlights of a person’s life and, here, the narrative succumbs to ticking off milestones. Omung tries to give it variety by incorporating a flashback structure, but that doesn’t add much. We go abruptly from one pivotal moment to another — it’s a dramatic story, but the first half especially is inexplicably inert. The character is fascinating and yet her story doesn’t grip you. Thankfully, the momentum picks up in the second half, once Mary gets married and has children. But Omung and his writer, Saiwyn Quadras, also try to highlight too many issues — women’s empowerment, the shoddy treatment of athletes by government bodies, how ignorant most Indians are about the north-east, the difficulty women have in balancing personal and professional lives and, of course, the call to patriotism that runs through the film. In the climax, Omung opts for high-strung melodrama and we are even asked to stand as the national anthem plays. I found it annoying. The emotion that compels viewers to stand has to be earned. You can’t just tell us to do it. Despite its flaws, though, Mary Kom is a worthy attempt. The film has sincerity and has been crafted with care. Apart from Mary herself, it gives us a terrific male role model — Onler, who encouraged Mary to return to boxing while he looked after their twin sons. Has anyone given that man a medal?

Anupama Chopra is the editor and founder of Film Companion. ...view detail

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Mary Kom Reviews

Mary Kom ... is unusual because [it does] not allow Mary's motherhood to dwarf other aspects of her identity [and] she is never shown feeling guilty about [her] career...

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jan 31, 2021

Omung Kumar's well-intentioned but excessively effusive Mary Kom...The question is: should you watch it You should, the simple reason being that we owe it to the pugilist who has gone where few Indians have ever gone.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Mar 19, 2018

Well done, PC. Knockout performance, indeed.

Full Review | Mar 19, 2018

Omung Kumar's Mary Kom is a bland film that quickly becomes boring because there's no tension in the story. But it has Priyanka Chopra.

It's a tribute to Chopra's own grit as an actress that she overcomes trashy set-ups land, punch after punch, fills the screen with real emotion.

What powers the film is a remarkable performance by Priyanka Chopra.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Mar 19, 2018

The main reason why Mary Kom appeals is because it doesn't just give you a ringside view of boxing; it leaves you rooting for our sportsmen who have put India on the world map.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Mar 19, 2018

Watch Mary Kom if you are a Priyanka Chopra fan.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Sep 1, 2017

Mary Kom is a travesty of a movie because it misses an opportunity to tell a great story, and dumbs it down to such an extent that every nuance, every bit of context and every bit of truth is obliterated.

Full Review | Jun 6, 2017

[Priyanka Chopra's] performance is focused and intense. The way she picks up the North Eastern accent, the way she picks fights with boys, the way she picks up the nuances of boxing are masterful.

Full Review | Jul 8, 2015

The Explorer of Miracles

Believe in miracles and the power of words!

Friday 5 September 2014

Mary kom - 25 lessons and movie review.

61 comments:

Extraordinary review! just loved it. especially the 25 points :) #MaryKom

Thanks a lot, Shankar! It's such an inspiring movie :)

Whoa. That good. I did not read the whole of your post and I might return back once I have watched the movie :p But thank you for sharing your review. Will see it soon :)

Right Anmol! Smart thing to do! watch the movie first & then read this :)

A very profound review Anita. I appreciate your keen observation and analysis. Your article evoked a strong feeling in me to go for the movie tomorrow. Great job dear (Y)

Thanks for your appreciation! Delighted that you liked it. Go for the movie, Ravish :)

What an extensive review, Anita! Great observations..will catch the movie as soon as I can :-)

Thanks a lot, Uma! Don't miss this!

Again great review Anita.... I will appreciate you for the review....

Glad you liked it, Appy! Thanks :)

Wow. That's a really good take on the movie. I don't like Priyanka Chopra :(

Thanks Red. You'll like her in this one :)

Nice 25 lessons ! must implement them.Thanks for review Anita :) I too was waiting for release of this movie. Seems an amazing movie. I love watching inspirational movies :) Going to watch it tomorrow :)

Yes Deepa, Mary Kom is a great movie. You'll like it for sure. Thanks for your appreciation!

Very nicely written! Inspiring movie leads to inspiring writing & inspired mind! :) I love all d lessons & my favorite is- U can win on an empty stomach! :D

Thanks Amrita! Yes, you are right. May we get inspired. Being a winner, you know how winning is like :)

It is not how many times you get knocked down, it is whether you get up every time. :)

Yes, Sureshji. Thanks for sharing this quote! I now remember it! I covered this lesson in #24 :)

Anita that's a great review :).. you already watched it !!! there is not even a single movie theater in Saudi.. I miss watching first day first shows.. :(

Thanks Shruthi :) Oh! Then, you have to wait till the DVD is out... Catch lots of 1st Day 1st Shows when you come to India next :)

YOU PACKED 25 PUNCHES AND I WOULD STRAIGHT AWAY LAND INTO A NEARBY THEATRE...:-D

That's sweet :) Land up at the movie-hall for the punch-treat :)

O Anita...Great review. Feel like watching it! :)

Thanks Aiswarya :) Go ahead & watch!

Saw this on your Twitter handle, but waited to visit until I'd myself watched it y'day evening. As always the Movie, and the Review, both are top - notch. :)

So, now that you have watched it, can expect your review too, Poonam! Thanks a lot :)

superb review sis, a big big thumbs up to the movie and to the review. I haven't seen it yet but will want to see at first instance that I get a good print.

Thanks Sis :) Sure! Do watch :)

Wow, such a detailed analysis of a movie, I cannot believe this :) Great work Anita.

Thanks for your appreciation, Alok :)

Great critical appreciation, Anita:)

Delighted you liked it, Amitji.

I was waiting for this movie to be released but haven't got chance to watch it yet:( great review and the lessons learnt Anita!

Hope you get to watch it soon :) Thank you so much! Glad you liked it :)

Great review.

Thanks for stopping by. Glad you liked it.

I am going to see it tomorrow, waiting eagerly to see it.

Hope you watched it :)

A great review! Want to see the movie now!

Thanks Rahulji :) That's something :)

Thank you for your review-Was eagerly waiting for the release.Then I saw another review debunking the movie & was confused.Your review has placed things in perspective.Now can go ahead & watch the awaited movie without hesitation!

Thanks a lot for the trust & support :) Hope that you'll like it too!

I was eagerly waiting for this movie. The trailers were really promising. And here comes your article Anita...:). It is asking me better to shake my legs and go out and watch it. Excellent movie review Anita... :)

Yes, the trailers are really nice & the movie is even better, Priyashi. Thanks for your appreciation! You'll like the movie too :)

Thanks a lot for the review....I have still not watched the movie, but understood clearly the story. It really touched me. Its too good.

Thanks a lot for stopping by & for sharing your words here. Yes, the story is of Mary Kom's struggles & success. It's a champion's story that is much appreciated.

Frankly Anita I thought I will not watch this movie as the posters of priyanka's muscles and bloated face is not inspiring me to but your review is so good that I think i will give it a try one of this week day evening show.

Thanks for such nice words, Nima! After reading all these hearty comments, I really feel responsible now, having convinced everyone to watch :) Hope you & everyone likes the movie as much I did :)

I was to go and see this one yesterday.. but had something else come up , so probably will be going at the weekend again :) Bikram's

Weekends are great for movies, Bikram! Enjoy! I'll take your feedback after you have watched :)

I have to see this one especially for the kids. Great review, Anita.

Do watch, Rachna. My daughter loved it too. Thanks for your appreciation :)

This is a great review Anita and I am surprised how did I not see the movie in the same light. Have a look at what i wrote :) http://happinessandfood.wordpress.com/2014/09/09/mc-pc-what-to-see/ Parul

Glad you liked it, Parul :) It all depends on what/how/why something appeals to us. We all have our own views and that's the beauty :) Will check out your review now.

I won't disagree with the 25 points but I don't really agree that PC knew many boxing moves. I am learning kick boxing and believe she does not know how to throw a punch. Neither was her figure like a boxer.

Thanks for stopping by & sharing your feedback, Abhishek. My point that PC knows boxing moves is based on what I read in her interviews. She claims she has trained/learnt enough to give a good fight now. Obviously, we can't expect her figure to be like a boxer; the audience understands that she's not a boxer. She's a Miss World, who has done justice to her role as Mary Kom. Her hard-work shows. Best wishes for your kick boxing lessons. Great for self defense. Much needed in today's world.

A thought provoking and inspiring movie and your post especially the 25 guidelines that should work as a road map to any naive person to look forward and be successful in life.

Thanks Fayazji :) Yes, success depends on so many factors. Best wishes to us all.

I have read the book and I liked it a lot. But I didn't like the promos at all, too much romance which was just not there in the book!

Mridula, I think you intended to post the above comment for my post- 2 States- Movie-Review :) As we know, Mary Kom movie is based on Mary Kom's life :)

mary kom really nice movie. she is really great inspiration for many girls Regards shahid

Your words mean a lot to me.

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‘Mary Kom’ review: Film gets bloated by extraneous songs

'mary kom' is biopic which starts with the caveat `based on the life incidents of’ immediately makes you suspicious..

Cast: Priyanka Chopra, Darshan Kumar, Sunil Thapa Director: Omung Kumar Rating: **1/2

A biopic which starts with the caveat `based on the life incidents of’ immediately makes you suspicious. Why not just say : ‘based on the life of’? Is it because too many cinematic liberties have been taken in the telling? In other words, is ‘ Mary Kom ’ really the story of Mangte Chungneijang Mary Kom, the champion boxer from Manipur, who’s done India proud? Or is it just another heavily-embroidered Bollywood movie?

After a point it doesn’t matter, and that’s where ‘Mary Kom’ the movie makes the cut. Priyanka Chopra who plays Kom, does a good job of getting into the part. You can see her striving for rustic chic, which contrasts with sudden svelteness. You can hear her accent slipping. In places, you can see the overhang of Hollywood boxing movies, more ‘Rocky’ than ‘ Raging Bull’. Despite these things, Priyanka Chopra hooks a mean left, and makes me root for Mary Kom, champion boxer, wife and mother.

That’s half the battle won, and it is the crucial one. Because this film shows us just how tough it is for mainstream Bollywood to make a good, gritty sports bio-pic. A boxer, regardless of gender, gets bruised and bloody in the ring. Bones are crunched. It is a magnificent sport, its ugly folds hiding its beauty. Chopra’s ugliness and bloodiness is carefully done : it’s only as much as the filmmakers think we can handle without making us wince. Still, it’s something.

Mary Kom’s coach, played by Sunil Thapa, has the right burly physique for a pugilist. But Thapa is made to play him a tad filmi and broad : all the big life lessons Kom learns are delivered by him. `I lub boxing’, she says. `You have to give your life to it’, he replies, sonorously. And you flashback to the marvelously real Clint Eastwood as coach to Hillary Swank in ‘Million Dollar Baby’, another underdog female boxer film.

The best man in Kom’s life is her husband, nicely underplayed by Darshan Kumar. Behind every successful woman there may be a man, and that man, in Kom’s life, is not her taciturn ‘coach sir’, but her amazingly supportive spouse. Again, to see such a liberated ‘man’ makes you wonder if truly such a creature exists, or has he been made so for the sake of the movie?

Whatever, the message that goes out via their relationship is a worthy one : mothers are people first, and they do not need to give up on their dreams if they have the right partner. A scene has two men holding the two babies, and another message goes out : a father can be a perfectly competent parent, too.

The film gets bloated by extraneous songs. In its zeal to tell us how Kom is also a committed mom ( to an adorable set of twins , one of whom gets very sick) as well as a sportsperson, it tries too hard to tug at our heartstrings. And the climactic sequence goes on and on : a duel in the ring is automatically exciting, needing no schmaltzy revving up. There are also too-blatant product placements strewn right through, which distract from the story.

What it gets right is the kind of churlishness and mean-minded partisanship Indian sporting federations are beset by : the men ( and they are overwhelmingly men) who run it are not oriented towards the benefit of the players. Kom’s taking on one such official is a pointer : this is exactly how it happens, and that’s why there aren’t more champions in the country.

And it also gets right the main act : Mary Kom, inspirational world champion, shaking a glove.

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A chronicle of the life of Indian boxer Mary Kom, who went through several hardships before audaciously accomplishing her ultimate dream. A chronicle of the life of Indian boxer Mary Kom, who went through several hardships before audaciously accomplishing her ultimate dream. A chronicle of the life of Indian boxer Mary Kom, who went through several hardships before audaciously accomplishing her ultimate dream.

• Omung Kumar
• Saiwyn Quadras
• Ramendra Vasishth
• Karan Singh Rathore
• Priyanka Chopra Jonas
• Sunil Thapa
• 79 User reviews
• 26 Critic reviews
• 13 wins & 19 nominations

• (as Priyanka Chopra)

• M. Narjit Singh (Mary Kom's Coach)
• Mary's Mother

• (as Darshan Kumar)

• German Boxing Coach
• Bangalore Camp Boxer
• Hindi Commentator

• Assistant coach
• Journalist at Mary's House

• Omung Kumar (attached)
• All cast & crew
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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Did you know

• Trivia Mary Kom is the only woman boxer to have won a medal in each one of the six world championships.
• Crazy credits Priyanka Chopra became Miss world in 2000 it was the same year when Mary Kom started practicing boxing.
• Connections Featured in 60th Britannia Filmfare Awards (2015)
• Soundtracks Ziddi Dil lyrics by Prashant Ingole music by Shashi Suman performed by Vishal Dadlani

User reviews 79

• BallerinaWick
• Sep 5, 2014
• How long is Mary Kom? Powered by Alexa
• September 5, 2014 (India)
• Official site
• Bhansali Productions
• Viacom18 Motion Pictures
• See more company credits at IMDbPro
• Sep 7, 2014

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 2 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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Mary Kom movie: A ringside view to life and times of a boxing legend

The Mary Kom movie was released on September 5, 2014. The Bollywood biopic, starring Priyanka Chopra, is about the Indian boxer's early career before she became an Olympic medallist.

The trend of modern-day Bollywood sports biopics took off with the hugely popular Bhaag Milkha Bhaag in 2013. And it wasn’t long before Mary Kom - a film based on six-time world champion Indian boxer MC Mary Kom 's life – followed on screen.

The Mary Kom movie was released in September 5, 2014. The film, that celebrates the life and accomplishments of the six-time world amateur boxing champion from Manipur, was a runaway hit at the box office. It raked in Rs 104 crores despite being made on a relatively small-budget of Rs 18 crore.

So what was the biopic all about? Here’s a look at the story behind the Mary Kom movie .

Mary Kom movie cast

The Mary Kom film was directed by Omung Kumar, who made his directorial debut with this film. Sanjay Leela Bhansali was the producer.

Bhansali’s involvement with the project was particularly surprising. The Padma Shri winner is primarily noted for producing or directing big-budget grand scale dramas like Paadmavat, Devdas and Saawariya .

However, the national award-winning filmmaker himself admitted later that the opportunity to retell the story of an iconic figure like Mary Kom was impossible to pass on, even if it was uncharted territory for him.

Given Mary Kom’s quiet and powerful demeanour, it was a challenge to find an actor to play the ace boxer. Eventually, Priyanka Chopra was roped in to play the role.

Darshan Kumar was cast as Mary Kom’s husband, Onler Kom while popular Nepalese actor Sunil Thapa took up the mantle of her coach and mentor M. Narjit Singh.

Playing Mary Kom: Priyanka Chopra’s ‘hardest’ challenge

Priyanka Chopra is known for her versatile acting skills and has a proven track record of playing challenging roles both in Bollywood and Hollywood. But even the Quantico star describes Mary Kom as possibly her hardest endeavour, although a personally gratifying one.

"This was about determination, focus, diligence -- it is a lifestyle, a religion, to be a sportsperson. For me, this experience was spiritual,” Priyanka Chopra said.

“I will never be a sportsperson. I will never be able to represent my country in a competition. As an actor, I got this opportunity to feel that,” Priyanka added.

To learn a new sport and get her body in shape for the role, Priyanka Chopra trained with Samir Jaura, who also prepared Farhan Akhtar for Bhaag Milkha Bhaag .

Priyanka Chopra also met Mary Kom and even made trips to her home in Imphal to get pointers about the sporting aspects as well as the boxer’s intriguing personal life.

To induce as much realism as possible, Christy Halbert, USA’s assistant coach at the London 2012 Olympics, was brought on board to choreograph the fights.

The movie includes several key bouts from the early days of Mary Kom’s boxing career. All of Priyanka Chopra’s opponents in the movie were real boxers, not stand in actors, and she even took a few real punches while shooting the Mary Kom movie and sustained real injuries.

While boxing remained the heart of the Mary Kom biopic, it also tackled issues related to women empowerment, motherhood and the trials and tribulations of a world champion balancing her family life with a successful boxing career.

So, is the Mary Kom movie a true story?

Not entirely. But though some creative liberties were taken to add the zing to a commercial cinema, most of it had its roots firmly grounded in Mary Kom’s real life – the true star of the movie.

“Most events shown in the film are real, but with a little bit of masala,” Mary Kom clarified.

Mary Kom has also praised Priyanka Chopra for her dedication to get into her shoes.

“Priyanka saw how we lived. She met my family and had a close look at my early life. It was a lesson for her. My rise from the rice fields of Kangathei village to winning the World Championships has been captured really well,” Mary Kom said.

Acclaim and Nick Jonas’ Bollywood introduction

The Mary Kom movie premiered at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, making it the first Hindi language movie to feature on the opening night of the prestigious event.

The biopic also received a National Film Award for the Best Popular Film and also won several other awards, including multiple Filmfares.

Priyanka Chopra, the lead of the movie, also later revealed that her husband Nick Jonas, a popular American singer of the Jonas Brothers fame, took it upon himself to watch the Mary Kom film.

“He doesn’t really watch my Bollywood movies but he watched Mary Kom by himself one day,” the actor stated.

Mary Kom 2 a possibility?

Though the Mary Kom film takes a comprehensive look at the champion boxer’s early days, it’s still a story half-told.

The script and the screenplay of the Mary Kom movie finalised in 2011. It encapsulates Mary Kom’s inspiring rise from her village in Manipur against all odds. It climaxes with her at the gold medal-winning bout at the 2008 World Boxing Championships in Ningbo City, China - her first big triumph since becoming a mother for the first time in 2007.

Since then, the Indian boxer has won multiple titles inside the boxing ring, including two more World Championships, two Asian Games gold medals, a Commonwealth Games gold and most importantly a bronze at the London 2012 Olympics – regarded as the crowning moment of her career.

Multiple intriguing narratives, too, have played out in her life, including becoming a mother to more children, being nominated as a member of India’s Rajya Sabha and an intriguing rivalry with Nikhat Zareen in a bid to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics.

She might be nearing to the end of her boxing career but there might be still a lot more to come from Magnificent Mary to add to what is a delightful assortment of storytelling pegs fit for the big screen.

The boxer, in fact, already has her suggestion list ready for a potential Mary Kom 2. “I want more focus on the fights if they ever decide to make another biopic on me,” she said.

How to watch the Mary Kom movie?

While we may have to wait for any possible sequel to the original, you can watch the Mary Kom movie on online streaming on Netflix or rent or buy the movie to watch it on YouTube .

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Home » Movies » Bollywood Movie Reviews

Mary Kom Review

Star Cast:  Priyanka Chopra, Darshan Kumaar, Sunil Thapa, Minakkshi Kalitaa, Zachary Coffin, Shishir Sharma

Director:  Omung Kumar

What’s Good:  Priyanka Chopra is ace in the role of Mary Kom. She is dedicated, sincere, earnest and nothing short of brilliant.

What’s Bad:  The bad direction, sketchy narrative that makes the film devoid of soul.

Loo break:  Far too many than I had expected.

Watch or Not?: Mary Kom is not an unbearable film but it is largely unwatchable. It was painful to see the most hardworking sporting star of India being reduced in a film that is a caricaturish blend of Chak De!  and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag . Obviously I went in with far too many expectations but this film isn’t a heartfelt attempt at film-making. If you at all decide to watch the film, do so for Priyanka who upholds the unbreakable spirit of Mary Kom, in its most pristine form. When everything else scrambles apart, Chopra courageously puts in better than her best foot. I wish the story could give both Chopra and Kom their dues. Sadly magnificent Mary loses herself in the maleficent trappings of Bollywood floss.

Based on the life of Olympic Champion Mary Kom , the film traces her story to success. Daughter of a small villager, in the troubled state of Manipur, this woman dared to dream beyond what was allowed to her. In a country where sports means cricket,she despite being a woman pursues a career in boxing against the wishes of her father. At the peak of her career she gets married to Ondler (Darshan Kumaar) and soon enough delivers twins. Married with two babies, unable to get a decent job, she returns to boxing. But her body has changed and she doesn’t have stamina and youth by her side. Lecherous, slimy bureaucrats too go against her. How she rises from a self imposed life of oblivion to claim back the success she deserves in What the film captures.

Mary Kom Review: Script Analysis

In a scene in the film, Mary’s baby pees on an old paper clipping that was a glimpse of her former glory. In one scene, minus any words, the heart wrenching and moving story of Mary Kom was conveyed with such brutal conviction. It takes that little to create an impact. But there aren’t many scenes in the film which will convey the same to the audiences. In plain words, this was a plastic attempt to tell a beautiful, memorable story. But the persistent problem with this film is the lack of depth in it. All through the first hour, too much time is wasted on harping upon the father-daughter’s strained relationship which out of the blue, miraculously fixes itself when an emotional, dejected wrestler father suddenly cheers for her daughter’s match as he watches her on television, playing for India. On paper, it was a very emotional cue, I bet. But when the same happened on screen, I cracked up. Such cinematic liberties in a biopic of a living person, is the heights of being irresponsible.

The story written by Saiwyn is immensely predictable. Nothing shocks you. I was expecting the insensitive federation Sarkari babus, who trip on their own ego to feel above the real achievers. I was expecting her conflict with her coach. I was expecting her to face the same aggressive player, she had beaten to pulp, against her in a match that will mark her return. The story offers neither anything novel nor anything that explains that the film has its heart in the right places. The fabric is too unreal. I remember reading Kom’s Unbreakable. It wasn’t anything path-breaking as ‘I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings’ but it was brave and motivational, to say the least.

The film loses tension too early. The goosebumps that the trailer left by fizzled out too soon for me. The fact that the writers projected her as a hot headed, fight-picking, short tempered, trying too hard to be strong sort of a person doesn’t go down well. Give her the credit that she has worked hard against all Odds of resistant family, insensitive society and rigid laws of nature to become what she eventually did. The message of misguided, forced feminism is something I am better spared off.

And finally, the problem is Mary’s lack of chemistry with her husband who had been her pivotal support system. Priyanka has paper thin chemistry with Kumar and the story has such spurts of engrossing moments and boring cues that by the end credits you are confused about your feelings for the film. I, for one, was sure I was left exhausted, disappointed and upset. And my heart reached out to Chopra who did everything to save a bad film but the canvas of the movie could not do justice to her potential.

Mary Kom Review: Star Performances

I am back to being in love with Priyanka. Where was this lady in Zanjeer, Gunday, Krrish 3? Delivering such a power packed performance, she gets every note right, every shade of the character correct and emotes every emotion to perfection. Her physical delving into the role too helped her infuse authenticity in the role that was otherwise all gloss-no meat. She was engrossed in her performance that everytime the film stumbles, you feel bad for Chopra.

For the rest of the cast, I have no kind words. Thapa grumbles too much. Kumar fumbles too much. And others aren’t allowed well fleshed out roles.

Mary Kom Review: Direction, Editing and Screenplay

Omung Kumar is so clearly an advertisement guy. He is brilliant at selling stuff so smartly that in a gripping scene you’ll be told how Prega informs you correctly about unplanned pregnancy, Iodex works better than its competitors, Mother Dairy milk is what made Kom strong and finally Tata Salt is desh ka namak. I had far too many facepalm moments, unintentionally funny moments and heartbreaking moments. Kumar’s lack of experience ruins a perfectly good story. His style assured me that he isn’t cut out for biopics. His problem is that he can’t inject emotions or authenticity in his films and neither can he help you delve into Karan Johar’s world of super-realism that lures you to it. Mary Kom’s story is anything but bland, however, the film is often insipid. His boxing bits are well done I admit but it doesn’t interest you like the hockey matches in Chak De did. The use of the reference is just to explain why Mary Kom fails to impress and the former did not. It is the faltering gusto that doesn’t work. Despite having a different ending of every match, the celebration of the sport does not reflect in the film.

I can forgive that the film doesn’t capture why sports and music are two very important veins of Manipur or their insurgency issue. But Kumar’s failure is in his inability to capture Mary’s life interestingly, with the right feel, recreating the impact of having her shine at the Olympics. I think news channels did it better than a tribute film could do for her.

The last act was too forced and ridiculous. It was a terrible idea to alternate between a dying baby and a heart broken mother who cannot be there for her child because she has to claim back her lifeline (boxing). The alternating shots irritate you enough to not allow you to focus, diluting the climactic impact attempted by its makers. The shabby editing too adds on to the inconsistent narrative but blame the lack of love in the director’s vision. He did not feel the story he was creating and that’s when it was a lost war for the cause.

Mary Kom Review: The Last Word

The cinema child inside me was bruised and I could not bring myself to like Mary Kom . As a woman, I deeply respect her and draw inspiration from her. But the film that was aspiring to reach her story to millions falls prey to mawkish ways and tells a half baked, semi-impactful, immature story that doesn’t allow you to empathize, feel for or connect with the subject they are paying tribute to. This film was clearly a business vehicle that was made to draw money than to create good cinema for posterity sake. I am going with a 2.5 /5. I have not returned this upset from a film since Imtiaz Ali’s Highway which broke my heart for being insincere. This was a more unexciting experience. Ouch!

Mary Kom Trailer

Mary Kom  releases on 5th September, 2014.

Share with us your experience of watching Mary Kom .

26 COMMENTS

WTF… mohar basu pls stop rating bollywood movies.Go to USA and critify SUNNY LEONE type movies.Is you ever like hindi films? Can you understand hindi i have doubt?Ever films you have rated in KOIMOI all your views were FISH.Please KOIMOI you have loosing credibilities for such type of working.

Oh common yaar it is such a good movie i watched and i m the first to comment will definately go beyond 70-80 crores mark and as for you ms.koimoi kisi ka to bhala socho , kya yaariyan wala sabak bhul gaye?

Good movie but the direction and some of star cast makes it ” Sajid Khan ” .

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Movie review: ‘Mary Kom’

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There’s a reason why audiences keep coming to boxing movies in droves, despite the genre’s generally predictable narratives, stock characters and melodramatic sequences. With few exceptions, boxing movies seem to exist for no higher purpose than to rehash the same old underdog success story that consistently leaves viewers uplifted and satisfied.

But the Bollywood sports drama “Mary Kom” exists for an additional reason: To delineate the life of the famous female boxing champion the film is named after. Mary Kom holds enough world boxing championship titles and influence in the sport to merit a keen cinematic look at her career’s progression. However, the film botches that opportunity, succumbing instead to the common pitfalls of its genre, and topping it off with an inelegant style of execution.

Screenwriter Saiwyn Quadras tries to add nuance to the film’s opening scene by setting it in media res, as Kom goes into labor. That section of the narrative goes almost nowhere thematically, however, and we transition to Kom’s modest upbringing and early forays into fighting. From there, the film becomes a textbook hero’s journey. In order to earn prominence within the international boxing circuit, Kom must overcome her father’s staunch restrictions and expectations. After fulfilling this goal, Kom gives birth to two children and must persevere through public doubt to find her way back to the ring.

Chopra looks almost nothing like the real-life Kom, but at least she finds a way to play the part persuasively. Her performance showcases Kom’s intensity and commitment to her sport. Unfortunately, “Mary Kom” itself proves far less convincing. The film’s efforts to orchestrate tension and pull at the audience members’ heartstrings come off as far more contrived than genuine; we see right through the ubiquitous rousing musical cues. “Mary Kom” tries to engineer a sense of profundity rather than build suspense authentically.

More unreasonable, however, is the film’s excessive demand for a suspension of disbelief on the part of the viewer. A certain level of hyperbole is to be expected in this kind of movie, but “Mary Kom” crosses a line when the climactic fight scene is intercut with the heart surgery of one of Kom’s children. It’s a choice that’s chronologically inaccurate, illogical and borderline insensitive.

To his credit, director Omung Kumar imbues the fighting sequences with a good degree of energy and electricity. However, those sequences and Chopra’s strong performance prove insufficient in transcending the overarching effort’s deficiencies. Mary Kom’s life didn’t need to be exaggerated to retain its potency on the silver screen. To its detriment, this biopic lacks faith in the intelligence of its audience.

It’s worth noting that “Mary Kom” is in Hindi with clumsily arranged English subtitles. The myriad typos do nothing to distract from the film’s larger flaws.

Unrated. Two hours, 2 minutes.

Join the Conversation

True picture is a moving story saga of a legend in boxing. One or two things that call for exceptions which are still regional in awe and respect for her egs. are when her father blesses the children of Manipur for a long life and when the insurgents spare her as she is a boxer from their state..both were good for her but added the regional sentiment which goes contrary to her own anguish when she loses a inter state championship to reiterate her Indian spirit but what went wrong was all the right she could imagine to succeed

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