Ghoomer: An emotional and powerful fiction

Just before making her dream debut in international cricket as a batsman, Anina Dixit (Saiyami Kher) loses her right hand in a freak accident. This ends her desire to live, until she stumbles upon an eccentric former cricketer turned alcoholic, Paddy (Abhishek Bachchan).
Ghoomer is a film by R Balki that tells a story of human resilience and vulnerability through cricket. Inspired by the story of Károly Takács, the late Hungarian right-hand shooter who won two Olympic gold medals with his left hand after his other hand was seriously injured, the film breaks the formulaic rags-to-riches theme in Indian sports movies. The film features Shabana Azmi as Anina’s cricket expert granny, who shatters the notion that women don’t get statistics. The film also explores the tortured yet endearing relationship between the rude coach and his player, Paddy (Padam Singh Sodhi), who resorts to a cruel training-toxic approach. The film gains from their fiery conversations and differences, as Paddy offers to train Anina so she could re-enter the Indian team as a one-handed bowler. The film also shares a strange relationship with the women in his life, including his house help, transwoman Rasika (feisty Ivanka Das), and an aspiring cricketer battling a life-altering disability. Paddy’s character is underrated for too long, but Ghoomer gives him his due, bowling the best delivery of his career. Saiyami Kher, a cricketer-turned-actress, nails the role of Anina, showcasing her athletic physique, stance, and cricketing shots. Her showdown with coach Paddy and boyfriend Jeet (Angad Bedi) are the film’s most moving scenes. The film’s soul lies in R. Balki, Rahul Sengupta, and Rishi Virmani’s uplifting writing that makes viewers teary-eyed and chuckle. The characters are refreshingly supportive, non-judgmental, unpretentious, and good-hearted. However, the film struggles towards the end, getting a bit predictable and crowd-pleasing (match portions). The film questions whether India’s national cricket team can give its much coveted spot to a one-armed spin bowler, who cannot bat or field properly, and if media attention and the equal opportunity stance of selectors are enough to bend the rules.