Soorma
Cast: Diljit Dosanjh, Tapsee Pannu, Angad Bedi
Director: Shaad Ali

It’s raining biopics in Bollywood. This week we have Soorma, based on the inspiring story of a grievously injured hockey player who made a comeback against all odds and won.

Soorma is meant to be about the inspirational tale of ace hockey player Sandeep Singh, who was accidentally shot in the back during a train journey in 2006. Singh was almost paralyzed for a year. Yet, with sheer determination and will, he fought with fate and worked hard to walk again. It didn't stop there: he led India to victory in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup in 2009 after defeating Malaysia in the finals at Ipoh. He was also the top goal-scorer of the tournament. The challenge with making a film on the life of a sportsman whose career has been in the news, and whose high and low points have been documented, is to keep it interesting without exaggeration and to retain the drama without being melodramatic.

So if you're expecting the kind of inspiration from Soorma that you did from Chak De India, best not to see this film. Soorma is more about a botched love story between Sandeep (Dosanjh) and his girlfriend, played by Taapsee Pannu. The love story is inspired by true events, as apparently, his career began after he fell in love with the niece of his brother's coach. The film will repeatedly remind you that Sandeep took up hockey to win over the girl he loved, till you want to knock yourself out with a hockey stick.

Far from being an inspiring or awe-inducing figure, Sandeep Singh has been portrayed as a unidimensional sketch who is a trifle monotonous at times. It's a waste of Dosanjh's capabilities, though he tries earnestly to breathe life into his character. Dosanjh cannot be faulted. He makes the best of a bad deal. Pannu, an actress who always gives the impression that she is sailing through with ease, does her bit to give Soorma its rare convincing moments. Angad Bedi has a meaty role - he digs his teeth into it and steals many a scene. Satish Kaushik, in the role of Sandeep's traveling salesman-father, adds a few bright spots to Soorma.

Soorma is more drag than flick, a hockey film sans genuine impetus. It is nowhere near the league of Chak De India despite telling a story that is no less intense than a wrongly victimized coach's struggle for redemption. Come to think of it, the Shimit Amin film was made over a decade ago. Why hasn't the Mumbai movie industry delivered another sports drama quite that good? The reason is obvious: Bollywood just doesn't do sports well. Its rules militate against the genre. Soorma, a wasted opportunity, demonstrates why and how.