It’s love-all
Ahockey player is working on his dragflicks on a dark playing field when an official in a suit asks him to leave. The player explains why the practice is vital and the suit is impressed.
He orders the turf lit up and hands over a bag of new hockey balls. Won’t you get into trouble with the federation, the boy asks. I am the federation, the suit replies.
Soorma is another in a string of recent biopics that steers clear of all controversy and focuses only on the love. Former India captain Sandeep Singh’s love for the game, in this case.
A small-town boy from Haryana, Sandeep (Diljit Dosanjh) gets serious about hockey fairly late in life, but that doesn’t stop him from earning the India cap within two years.
He is naturally gifted and trains relentlessly, but the real motivation behind his game is Harpreet (Taapsee Pannu), a member of the
India women’s squad.
Just when Sandeep’s game and love life are starting to take shape, though, he gets shot in the back.
From here on, the film is an ode to his grit and determination, peppered with humour and garnished with syrupy songs. Soorma is a story of good guys: players, Samaritans, administrators.
There isn’t much conflict. You always know where it’s heading.
Director Shaad Ali makes sure the focus is always the heartbroken player’s journey from boy to man; not the sport itself.
His achievements are stated or represented in flashes rather than recreated play-by-play.
As a result, though, the tale ends up glossing over the hardships and struggles that are a necessary part of any such journey. There are a few issues with Diljit’s look. For one thing, he doesn’t look 20 at the time of his shooting.
For another, he doesn’t move or walk like a sportsman. This becomes even more pronounced in scenes he shares with Sandeep’s real-life brother Bikramjeet, who is also a hockey player and plays Pakistani player Tanveer in the film.
Vijay Raaz is a scenestealer as a tough-talking Bihari coach named Harry. Angad Bedi and Satish Kaushik are superb and subtle. It’s a pity they don’t get more screen time.
Taapsee slowly fades into the background too.
Even if you don’t know the story of Sandeep Singh, Soorma will feel slow and flat. The film is over two hours long and through it all, Singh remains the ultimate boy scout. Not exactly riveting viewing.