Mahendra Singh Dhoni's grandiose biopic MS Dhoni - The Untold Story has opened to good response today. Neeraj Pandey's films have always churned good numbers post the word of mouth publicity. A Wednesday became a massive hit. Special 26 and Baby gained momentum in the second week of their run. This biopic might be a game changer for the director as it is already, on day 1, trending on top on social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. And certainly the popularity is deemed to increase. The movie stars Sushant Singh Rajput, portraying the legendary cricketer. Kiara Advani and Disha Patani appear in pivotal roles. The reviews that have come in so far are mixed to positive. One thing that many mentioned was that if you are a cricket fan you should not miss this movie. Anupam Kher's performance as Paan Ji, Dhoni's father has also been unanimously praised. Bollywoodlife's own Sreeju Sudhakaran writes that "Sushant Singh Rajput delivers his career best innings in this long yet engaging biopic!" Also Read - Shamshera actress Vaani Kapoor cannot stop raving about her co-star Ranbir Kapoor; calls him 'powerhouse talent'
MS Dhoni - The Untold Story captures the essence of middle class dream story - to make it big despite the odds and what the society tells you. Who would have thought during the Pavitra Rishta days that Sushant will so perfectly play the iconic role? Also Read - Sushant Singh Rajput drugs case: NCB files draft charges against Rhea Chakraborty, her brother Showik
NDTV notices the power of acting that Mr Rajput brings in this film. MS Dhoni - The Untold Story has "a stellar performance from Sushant Singh Rajput, some moments of hilarity, a dash of tragedy and a clutch of strong supporting actors." they write. Also Read - Trending TV News Today: Shakti Arora's biggest scare about Kundali Bhagya, Shehnaaz Gill’s latest pics, Khatron Ke Khiladi 12 premiere date and more
While a few misses by Sushant have also not gone unnoticed. Aditya Sahay, Cricket Country writes "Just before the interval, there is a scene where reel Dhoni (Sushant) shows his frustration of his fast paced life heading nowhere to his employer. Sushant seemed to have gone overboard with that particular scene as he forgets his ‘adapted’ tonality of speaking like a guy hailing from Bihar/Jharkhand. Sushant says “Karta hun” and goes back to the usually used “Karte hain” (in the same scene) which turns out to be the first blip of a well stitched first half."
Cricket Country further adds "In the end, the movie does not glorify Dhoni which is its biggest point but shows him as a near flawless character. Overall, it is not an average biopic. It is a simple story with an underlining message that you can be a small town boy but if you have talent and a little bit of luck, you can be unbridled."
Amazing for an Indian filmmaker to make a movie about a legend and not turn it into a fairy tale or a superhero saga.
While NDTV finds itself on the other end of the spectrum by noticing that "With the director's focus firmly on amplifying Dhoni's greatness, the cricketer's many career missteps are swept under the carpet. "
The same is being appreciated by KoiMoi - "The film is a literal tell all and at no point event puts Dhoni on a pedestal as someone great." And by DNA's Sarita Tanwar, who writes "The good thing is, it's not all about MSD's greatness on the field. " and concludes "You will laugh, smile, well up and finally cheer the big finish. For Sushant Singh Rajput, this is a career-defining role. In a bravura performance, he makes Dhoni so endearing on screen."
News 18, appreciates the film with words - "Director Neeraj Pandey has done a brilliant job at the execution. The impeccable details in the film - from Dhoni's house to his teachers, his love for bikes to his marriage and after - everything connects with you because of the real elements and emotions."
Also, the film's length is noted by many - some accept it - while some think it could have been discarded in the early drafts. News 18 writes "The narrative is lengthy but engaging", and Koimoi says "a 3 hour run-time could have been avoided by cutting down on the whole love angle."
Overall the film is found to be an entertaining watch by all. And well, we recommend you should not miss out on good entertainment over the weekend.
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