The Brawler (2017)

A boxer struggles to make his mark in the boxing world.

Director:

Anurag Kashyap

Writers:

Anudeep Singh (story), Anurag Kashyap

Stars:

Vineet Kumar Singh, Jimmy Sheirgill, Zoya Hussain

1 win & 6 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview:
Vineet Kumar Singh	...	Shravan
Jimmy Sheirgill	...	Bhagwandas Mishra
Zoya Hussain	...	Sunaina
Ravi Kishan	...	Sanjay Kumar
Rajesh Tailang	...	Vijay Singh
Shreedhar Dubey	...	Gopal Tiwari
Sadhana Singh	...	Meera
Shakti Kumar	...	Bhatia
Chittaranjan Tripathy	...	Krishna Kant Yadav
Sukhesh Mishra	...	Gopal Das
Shikha Chauhan	...	Guddi
Abhay Joshi	...	Inspector
Nawazuddin Siddiqui	...	Special Appearance - Mushkil Hai Apna Meil Priye song

Storyline

A boxer (Shravan) belonging to upper cast, trains at a gym controlled by a local Don (Bhagwan Das Mishra). Shravan falls for Mishra's niece (Sunaina). The Don does not approve of this match because of previous scuffle between Bhagwan and Shravan. Shravan strives to win Sunaina's hand in marriage and becomes a successful boxer while trying to avoid retaliation from the Don.

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Genres:

Action | Drama | Sport

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

India

Language:

Hindi

Release Date:

12 January 2018 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Brawler

Filming Locations:

Bareilly, India

Box Office

Gross USA:

$75,929, 25 January 2018

Company Credits

Production Co:

Colour Yellow Productions, Phantom Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

154 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Kashyap sent his second unit director Saqib Pandor), to record boxing tournaments on camera and the state tournament shown in the film is recreation of actual tournaments they had recorded on camera. They witnessed a boxing tournament happening under the tent and without an audience because their own space was occupied by something else and other boxers who sit and watch them. He also realized that after attending an actual boxing tournament in north India that there was no audience apart from people in power who decide which boxer should represent the state, and who will not. Kashyap then told Singh to train himself and he started training in Mumbai. Kashyap told him not to do the "filmi training" but to become a hardcore boxer. There are no boxing choreographers, action directors in the film. Singh was trained for a year to play the boxer's role by a coach, Anudeep Singh, who was coaching people for free and runs a garage for money. He told Kashyap that he wanted to be a boxer but he could not play. These stories were also used for the research of the film. Singh did not disclose that he was preparing for a role in film to his coach

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Connections

Referenced in The Film Review: Episode dated 12 January 2018 (2018)

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Soundtracks

Bahut Dukha Mann
lyrics by Hussain Haidry
music by Rachita Arora
performed by Rachita Arora and Dev Arijit

User Reviews

A gripping dark tale of romance and passion

As the experts say "Form is temporary, class is permanent". And Anurag Kashyap has come roaring back to form with 'Mukkabaaz'. Although one can argue that he never was out of form except for 'Bombay Velvet'.

In this do-or-die movie, as stated by Anurag Kashyap himself he shows his true class. The dark narrative, brutish characters are all present in this film. The protagonist Shravan Kumar(Vineet Kumar Singh) is an aspiring boxer from Bareilly who trains under a retired boxer and present state minister Bhagwan Das Mishra(Jimmy Shergill) and falls in love with his mute niece Sunanina(Zoya Hussain). But Bhagwan, a Brahmin treats his boxers more like his laundry boys. This irritates Shravan and the two have an early faceoff.

But Bhagwan is the real Godfather of Bareilly who can clutch anyone he wants under his feet and all he wants is to never let Shravan take part in any Boxing competition ever. This is where Kashyap is a treat to watch. He gives you these Scorsese-Tarantinesque characters who can you flinch with their terror and Bhagwan is exactly the same no-nonsense kind. He has no emotional vulnerability, no principles and will use his whole power to do anything he wants "Kyunki wo Brahman hain,wo aadesh dete hain" and its your duty to oblige.

On the other hand there is Shravan, determined to achieve both his passion and his love. He is ready to fight every situation but is desperately running out of time. Finally he meets Sanjay Kumar(Ravi Kishan) is a Boxing tournament who immediately takes him under his wing. He starts to train Shravan for the State-level Championship, the only way for him to marry Sunanina.

It is only Kashyap's excellence which even makes a love story this dark. You can sense the tension building in the second half but even then its impossible to predict the brutality in the second phase. Its noticeable that the whole focus of the movie is on Boxing and not the romance. Boxing is central to the film thus touching the plight of the sport in the state and country as you hear "Boxing pe picture banti hai to 40 crore kamati hai, par boxing tournament hota hai to chaalis log bhi dekhne nahi aate". The federation is being run by goons turning and twisting the sport according to their own benefits.

Zoya Hussain is a fresh surprise in her debut role. She manages to express the anger of Sunanina beautifully with her eyes without speaking a single work. Ravi Kishan does not have much screen time but is a delight to watch throughout. Its baffling to see how such a talented actor has been underutilized in the hindi film industry. Jimmy Shergill another stereotypes underestimated actor has nothing new which he hasn't done in the past. He plays the same corrupt minister who turns the system as per his own wishes. But he presents himself with such brutality you can literally feel the anger brewing inside you against this man. Though it is Vineet Singh Sharma who captures the screen in his first central role. One of Anurag Kashyap's trusted Banner-men, Vineet is ferocious, flamboyant and flawless at the same time. He makes you feel for Shravan without showing weakness in a single frame.

And what to say about Anurag Kashyap himself. He has made the actors act with their eyes rather than their words. This is where he is at his best. Where he tells the story of an underdog fighting against the system. The dark reality of the small towns where the God-men run the system without any intrusion. He has hit the right straps with 'Mukkabaaz' and we owe it to him for giving such peerless start to the new year. 'Mukkabaaz' sets the benchmark for this year's cinema. Go watch it now you can see the 'Tigers' in Corbett.