Plot
Mukkabaaz
begins
with
Shravan
Kumar
Singh
(Vineet
Kumar
Singh)
taunting
his
fellow
boxing
aspirant for
using
sport
as
a
device
to
land
a
stable
government
job
and
exclaiming,
"It's
because
of
people
like
you
that
Uttar
Pradesh
never
produces
any
Olympians"
before
declaring
his
lofty ambition
of
becoming
Bareilly's
Mike
Tyson.
Minutes
later,
Shravan
lands
his
'mukka' on
the
ego
of
Bhagwan
Das
Mishra
(Jimmy
Sheirgill),
his
upper
caste
coach
who
is
ruthless
and also
has
a
corrupt
and
political
influence
on
the
boxing
association.
Blows
are
exchanged
and
amidst
all
the
commotion,
Shravan
is
distracted
by
the
vision
of
a
girl
who
boldly
stares
back
at
him.
She's
none
other
Mishra's
niece
Sunaina
(Zoya
Hussain)
who
cannot
speak.
While
'Mushkil
Hai
Apna
Meil
Priye'
plays
in
the
background,
our
man
has
already
lost
his
heart
to
the
damsel.
Soon,
feelings
are
reciprocated
but
the
path
for
the
lovers
isn't
going
to
be
minus
the
hurdles
with
Das
trying
every
trick
from
his
book
to
crush
Shravan's
dreams
and
aspirations.
The
latter
has
no
other
choice
but
to
learn
and
play
'zindagi
ka
paintra'!
Direction
Anurag
Kashyap
who
is
synonymous
with
dark,
gritty films
has
placed his
latest
outing
Mukkabaaz
in a
lighter
space
with
all
the
trappings
of
a
mainstream
cinema.
He
shows
you
a
UP
where aspirations
die
a
slow
death
at
the
hands
of
bureaucracy,
casteism,
cynism
and
regional
politics.
Mukkabaaz
may
be
the
story
of
an
underdog-
a
steel-willed
boxer
in
an
'Indian
sports
film'.
But
beneath,
it
has
a
love
story
as
its
core.
The
major
part
of
the
film
keeps
you
glued
to
the
screen-
making you
laugh,
cry
and
most
importantly
think!
Unfortunately,
it's
after
the
first
three
quarters
that
Anurag
loses
his
grip
over
the
directorial
reins.
Melodrama
seeps
in
and
in
order
to
make
the
climax
'uncliched',
he
whips
up
a
half-baked
ending
that
fails
to
justify
the
protagonist's
final
call
of
action.
Performances
Vineet
Kumar
Singh
slithers
into
the
character
of
Shravan
Kumar
Singh like
his
own
skin
and
delivers
a
top-notch
performance
that
speaks
volumes.
Debutante
Zoya
Hussain
doesn't
have
any
dialogues in
the
film.
But,
it's
her
twinkling
eyes
that
do
all
the
talking
and
breathes
in
life
into
her
role.
Her
character
in
the
film
cannot
speak
but
has
a
firm
and
distinct
voice
that
doesn't
flinch
even
when
adversity
strikes
in!
The
newbie
definitely
is
some
fresh
talent
whom
we
just
can't
wait
to
watch
in
more
films.
Jimmy
Sheirgill
proves
yet
again
why
he
is
considered
to
be
one
of
the
finest
talents
that
we in
our
country.
Even
when
the
script
falters
and
makes
him
a
cardboard
villain
in few
scenes,
the
man
continues
with
his
marvellous
act.
Give
him
a
meater
role
and
he
sinks
his
teeth
deep!
Ravi
Kishan
too,
is
effective
in
his
role.
Technical
Aspects
The
visuals
play
an
important
role
in
Mukkabaaz
and
Shanker
Raman
captures
them
in
his
lens
efficaciously.
At
a
run-time
about
135
minutes,
the
film
gets
a
tad
stretched
in
few
portions
especially
post
interval,
But,
Aarti
Bajaj
and
Ankit
Bidyadhar's
editing
works
smoothly
in
the
rest.
Music
The
songs
of
Mukkabaaz
are
the
soul
of
the
film
and
arrive
with
a
purpose.
Most
of
the
lines
are
a
satirical
take
and
intriguingly
oven-fresh!
'Paintra',
'Mushkil
Hai
Apna
Meil
Priye' and
'Bahut
Dukhaa
Mann'
are
hands
down,
our
picks
from
the
soundtrack.
Verdict
In
a
country
where
sportsmen
(barring
cricket)
struggle
for
respect,
Mukkabaaz
holds
a
mirror
to
the
grim
reality
and
talks
about
love
blooming
amidst
hatred.
When
life
gets
tough,
put
on
your
boxing
gloves.
At
the
same
time,
it
also
tells
you
how
sometimes
the
best
way
to
throw
a
punch
is
to
take
a
step
back. The
film
'floats
like
a
butterfly
and
stings
like
a
bee'.
This
Anurag
Kashyap
falls
short
of
being
a
masterpiece
but
definitely
quenches
your
thirst
for
good
cinema!