Mukkabaaz (The Brawler) – Review: A must watch

Mukkabaaz, the drama directed by Anurag Kashyap, showcases his specialty of displaying the raw images of our society with superstitious beliefs and their practice, as well as the injustice and unfair treatment of commoners in India. The movie, with a running time of 2 hours and 50 minutes, takes you on a complete ride through the caste system, which is still practiced in various parts of India. It beautifully describes the struggling life of an athlete striving to achieve his dreams. In the movie, dreaming of becoming a great boxer puts the main character through the rough edges, where he encounters people misusing their power and position as government employees, all done in the name of caste, talent, experiences, religion, and education.

Social Commentary and Caste Struggles: Unveiling Raw Realities

Anyone at a junior level in the office, a dreamer, someone whose parents fail to understand their child’s passion, or someone unfortunately born into a lower caste family, or anyone who has disagreed to bear injustice towards themselves from any higher authority can easily relate to the main character of the movie. The hero and a girl, despite her speech disability, share a sweet love story. She clings to her aspirations of education, determined to prove that she is as capable as any other normal girl.

Regarding the characters, Vineet Kumar Singh, in the main role (the Hero), has made a tremendous effort to portray himself as a boxer and has justified his acting skills in the roles of an athlete, dreamer, lover, lower-level government employee, and a husband. On the other hand, Zoya Hussain, in a short but strong role, conveys a lot without even uttering a single dialogue. She communicates her unwillingness to compromise her dreams, considering her disability to speak. She briefly reveals the limited rights that females are afforded to educate themselves, make independent choices, and pursue their dreams.

Character Dynamics: A Multifaceted Tale of Dreams and Adversities

Another main character requiring great acting ability is portrayed by Jimmy Sheirgill as the head of the state boxing federation, a bad social worker, an unbearable family member, and a selfish uncle. Jimmy Sheirgill delivers a remarkable performance that illustrates how people in positions of high authority can misuse their power and destroy talents, love between people, as well as lives. The rest of the actors, like Ravi Kishan, Shree Dhar Dubey, and many more, make the movie more noteworthy to watch and keep the audience engaged until the end.