Paan Singh Tomar (film)
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Paan Singh Tomar is a 2012 Indian Hindi-language biographical film about the eponymous athlete who was a soldier in the Indian Army and won a gold medal at the Indian National Games, later to became a rebel against the system.[3][4] The film is directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia and produced by UTV Motion Pictures. Irrfan Khan plays the title role, with Mahie Gill, Vipin Sharma and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the supporting cast.
| Paan Singh Tomar | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Tigmanshu Dhulia |
| Written by | Tigmanshu Dhulia Sanjay Chauhan[1] |
| Based on | Life of Paan Singh Tomar |
| Produced by | Ronnie Screwvala |
| Starring | Irrfan Khan Mahie Gill Vipin Sharma Nawazuddin Siddiqui |
| Cinematography | Aseem Mishra |
| Edited by | Aarti Bajaj |
| Music by | Abhishek Ray |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | UTV Motion Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 135 minutes |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
| Budget | ₹70 million[2] |
| Box office | est. ₹201.80 million[2] |
Made on a shoestring budget of ₹45 million (US$560,000),[5] Paan Singh Tomar premiered at the 2010 British Film Institute London Film Festival.[6] The film was released domestically on 2 March 2012 to critical acclaim and emerged as an average at the box-office, with worldwide gross of ₹201.80 million (US$2.5 million).[2] The film won the Best Feature Film and Best Actor in the 60th National Film Awards 2012.[7]
Plot
A reporter interviews Paan Singh Tomar (Irrfan Khan), a dacoit who is in the news for killing nine people of a community. Answering questions about himself, the story goes in a flashback from the year 1950. Paan Singh works in the Army while his wife and mother live in Morena. He surprises his seniors in the Army with his athletic skills. Though he was not interested in sports, he joined the sports division because there were no limits on their diet. Picked for the 5000 meters race's training, he was persuaded to run for the 3000 metres steeplechase by his coach. He participates in the Indian National Games and wins the gold medal in the steeplechase event 7 years in a row. In 1958, he participates in the Asian Games at Tokyo, but couldn't win because of his inability to adjust to the track spikes only given to him in the final event. He felt frustrated when he was not allowed to go to the borders to fight in the 1962 and 1965 wars because sportsmen were not allowed to fight in them. In 1967, he participated in the International Military Games and wins the gold medal in the steeplechase.
One day his brother comes to visit him from his village and tells him about some of their property being usurped by Bhanwar Singh, a relative. Paan Singh decides to retire from the Army and leaves for his village to settle his family disputes, despite being offered a position as a coach in the army. Upon arriving home, he tries to resolve the issue with Bhanwar Singh. He even seeks help from the District Collector and local police station, but no help was forthcoming. His son is then beaten up badly by Bhanwar Singh and his goons. To keep him safe Paan Singh orders his son to join the army and asks him to stay away from the dispute. Eventually, Bhanwar Singh and his goons try to kill Paan Singh and his family. Most of his family manages to escape but his mother is brutally murdered. Paan Singh decides to avenge his mother's death. He becomes a baaghi who wreaks havoc in the Chambal Valley. He forms a gang of people some of whom are his relatives and are in conflict with Bhanwar Singh.
Pann Singh then goes into the business of extorting and kidnapping wealthy businessmen in the area to accumulate money and an arsenal for his people so that they can become a proper gang. After making all the necessary arrangements for arms and ammunition for gang members, he arranges a major attack on Bhanwar Singh, who has police protection. Bhanwar Singh gets killed by Paan Singh Tomar after a brief chase.
As an act of revenge for his brother's death, he kills nine villagers, who had become police informers and had informed the police about his hideout. This event causes a furor in the nation, administration, and also among the other gangs of dacoits who urge him to surrender so that the manhunt by the police would be called off but he refuses.
The interview with the reporter ends here and is published in the newspaper, causing a sensation. The police continue their search for Paan Singh Tomar, who, as a result of which, decides to lie low for a while. He meets his family and his coach from the army who requests him to surrender. Paan Singh refuses to surrender on the principle that while he was a sportsman holding a national record, nobody stood with him when he was facing problems, and the moment he decided to stand up for himself, he was branded a rebel and everyone wants him arrested. When the gang reconvenes after a month's hiatus, one of the members, Gopi (Nawazuddin Siddiqui), who had turned into a police informer betrays the gang by leading the police to their hideout. A shootout ensues where all members of the gang, including Paan Singh, are killed by Yashwant Singh Ghuraiya, a police officer.
Cast
- Irrfan Khan as Paan Singh Tomar
- Mahie Gill as Indira
- Vipin Sharma as Major Masand
- Imran Hasnee as Matadeen Singh Tomar
- Nawazuddin Siddiqui as Gopi
- Zakir Hussain as Inspector Rathore
- Jahangir Khan as Bhanwar Singh (Daddaa)
- Sitaram Panchal as Ramcharan
- Rajendra Gupta as H.S. Randhawa (Sports Coach)
- Swapnil Kotriwar as Hanumant (Paan Singh's Elder Son)
- Brijendra Kala as Journalist
- Rajiv Gupta as Corrupt Cop
- Ravi Sah as Paan's nephew Balram
- Paras Arora
Production
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Director Tigmanshu Dhulia first learned about Tomar while working on the set of Bandit Queen in Chambal. Intrigued that Tomar was largely forgotten despite holding several records, he resolved to make a film about his life. Dhulia researched the film's background for two years, interviewing Tomar's surviving family members and visiting his native village in Bhind.[8]
Dhulia wanted to make the film after fully researching Tomar. But that would need a lot of money. This caused Dhulia to work on it for 10 years.[9]
The film was shot in the ravines of Chambal, in Dholpur and in the actual barracks Tomar lived in at Roorkee.[10] To prepare for his role, Irrfan Khan trained rigorously with steeplechase coaches, even breaking his ankle at one point during the filming. He called the experience "the most physically and mentally demanding film of my career".[11]
Soundtrack
The music was composed and arranged by Abhishek Ray.[12][13] Since the film was a biopic locked in both time and geography, the original soundtrack and songs are strictly relevant to that. Abhishek Ray used different tribal instruments and folk voices pertaining to the hinterland of central India and fused them with larger-than-life symphonic orchestrations to capture the true essence of this poignant biopic set in the rugged Chambal ravines. The music of this epic film stands out for its authenticity, originality, and the perfect blend of central Indian folk with western classical influences.[14]
| Song No. | Song | Lyricist | Singer | Duration (In Minutes) |
| 1 | "Kero Mama" | K. Mohan (Agnee), Meet Bros | 2:29 | |
| 2 | "Dhai Dhai" | Sandeep Nath | Abhishek Ray, Kailash Kher Rahmat Khan Langa | 4:00 |
| 3 | "Jaao Dhal Jaao" | Kausar Munir | Abhishek Ray, Kailash Kher | 3:21 |
| 4 | "O Re Banwasi" | Manvendra | Vidhi Sharma, Ravleen Sabharwal | 2:46 |
| 5 | "Paan Singh Tomar" (Theme) | Irrfan Khan | 1:52 |
Release
Paan Singh Tomar was released in India on 2 March 2012.[15]
Critical reception
Paan Singh Tomar achieved universal critical acclaim among the critics.[16]
| Professional reviews | |
|---|---|
| Review Scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Deccan Chronicle | |
| Daily Bhaskar | |
| NDTV | |
| Zee News | |
| DNA India | |
| The Indian Express | |
| The Mumbai Mirror | |
| Bollywood Hungama | |
| The Times of India | |
| CNN-IBN | |
| Rediff | |
| Yahoo | |
| Tehelka | |
| indicates that the given rating is an average rating of all reviews provided by the source | |
The New York Times praised the film and especially Khan's performance, saying "Without romanticizing Paan Singh Tomar, he shows his basic honesty and gives him real depth. As an actor Mr. Khan rarely does the expected. You can’t take your eyes off him.".[17] Rajeev Masand of IBN awarded the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, praising Khan's performance and said "Directed competently by Dhulia, who's familiar and comfortable even with the dusty terrain, Paan Singh Tomar is made with great attention to detail and paints an honest, realistic picture of an India few of us can claim to know."[18] Avijit Ghosh of The Times of India rated the film 4 out of 5 stars and said "Sportsmen and outlaws inhabit two different universes. One shines amidst the bright lights of glory, and the other haunts the ravines of notoriety. But in director Tigmanshu Dhulia's biopic, Paan Singh Tomar, the two worlds collide. And the result is a rather exquisite blend of drama, humour and tragedy; altogether eminently enjoyable good cinema".[19] Aseem Chhabra for Rediff.com gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and said "The tragedy of Paan Singh Tomar and Irrfan Khan's execution of the role are both compelling."[20] Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and said "Paan Singh Tomar shatters the standard rules of this genre. Besides, the film makes you cognizant that serious cinema can be uniformly delightful, like any other enthralling entertainer."[21] Blessy Chettiar of DNA rated the film 4 out of 5 stars and said, "Gritty and power-packed, Paan Singh Tomar is a tribute to the unsung heroes of sports in India. Dhulia's direction and Irrfan's integrity will make [it] among the best movies of recent times.".[22] Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave the film 4 out of 5 stars and said "Paan Singh Tomar is a completely gripping, near-flawless film, with such few dodgy parts as to be negligible.".[23]
Box office collection
Paan Singh Tomar grossed ₹65.0 million (US$810,000) in first week.[24] The movie managed to gross ₹35.0 million (US$440,000) in the second week.[25] The movie collected ₹30 million (US$380,000) in its third week and was declared a semi-hit by Box Office India.[26]
Awards and nominations
Winner
| Award | Category | Recipient(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 60th National Film Awards | Best Feature Film | Ronnie Screwvala Tigmanshu Dhulia |
| Best Actor | Irrfan Khan | |
| Matri Shree Media Award | Best Film | Ronnie Screwvala |
| 58th Filmfare Awards | Critics Award for Best Actor | Irrfan Khan |
| Best Screenplay | Sanjay Chauhan and Tigmanshu Dhulia | |
| Colors Screen Awards | Best Film | Ronnie Screwvala |
| Best Actor | Irrfan Khan (alongside Ranbir Kapoor for Barfi!) | |
| Best Screenplay | Sanjay Chauhan, Tigmanshu Dhulia | |
| Zee Cine Awards 2013 | Best Dialogue | |
| Times of India Film Awards | Best Actor | Irrfan Khan |
| CNN-IBN Indian of the Year | Entertainment |
References
- ^ "Reviews Paan Singh Tomar". DNA. 2 March 2012.
- ^ a b c "Paan Singh Tomar - Movie - Box Office India". www.boxofficeindia.com.
- ^ Mukherjee, Pradipta (13 August 2021). The Fluid Frame in Cinema: Collected Essays. Cambridge Scholars Publishing. pp. 65–66. ISBN 978-1-5275-7377-2. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ Abhishek Mande (6 December 2008). "Irrfan's at peace with work". IBN. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
- ^ "Paan Singh Tomar earns Rs.4.25 crore over weekend". NDTV. IANS. 5 March 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ Businessofcinema.Com Team. "UTV's Paan Singh Tomar & Udaan to be showcased at BFI London Film Fest". Businessofcinema.com. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
- ^ "A press conference to announce 59th national film awards will be held" (Press release). Press Information Bureau (PIB), India. Retrieved 18 March 2013.
- ^ Debesh Banerjee (6 July 2010). "On the Run". Retrieved 25 July 2010.
- ^ Kamath, Sudhish (3 March 2012). "Paan Singh Tomar: The man who knew to run". The Hindu. Retrieved 1 January 2023.
- ^ Jha, Subhash K (19 January 2009). "Dhulia had to cut short film shoot in Roorkee cantonment". Hindustan Times. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
- ^ . Sify.com. 31 March 2009. Archived from the original on 3 April 2009. Retrieved 13 April 2010.
- ^ Singha, Sutapa (25 April 2013). "Composer Abhishek Ray records a song with Usha Uthup - Times of India". The Times of India. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ "Pune International Film Festival". www.piffindia.com. from the original on 7 May 2021. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ "Abhishek Ray uses Indian folk music for 'Paan Singh Tomar'". Mid-Day. 15 February 2012. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ "Paan Singh Tomar screened at Bharat Bhavan". The Pioneer. 6 October 2014. Retrieved 8 January 2023.
- ^ . Hindustan Times. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
- ^ Stalz, Rachel (2 March 2012). "A Rebel's Tale". The New York Times. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
- ^ Masand, Rajeev. . IBNLive. Archived from the original on 3 March 2012. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
- ^ Ghosh, Avijit (2 March 2012). "Paan Singh Tomar". Times of India. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
- ^ Aseem Chhabra. "Review: Paan Singh Tomar is compelling". Rediff.com. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
- ^ Adarsh, Taran. "Review By Taran Adaarsh". bollywood hungama. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
- ^ Chettiar, Blessy (2 March 2012). "Review Paan Singh Tomar". DNA. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
- ^ Gupta, Subhra (2 March 2012). "Paan Singh Tomar Review". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2 March 2012.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 14 March 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2012.
- ^ "Paan Singh Tomar Week Two Territorial Breakdown". Archived from the original on 8 July 2012. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
- ^ . Archived from the original on 26 June 2012. Retrieved 24 March 2012.
External links
- Official website
- Paan Singh Tomar at IMDb
- Paan Singh Tomar at Rotten Tomatoes
- Paan Singh Tomar at Box Office Mojo