Mary Kom is by far Priyanka’s one of the finest performances till date. It takes conviction for a leading actress to shed all glam quotients and appear with a bruised face in front of millions. Priyanka’s efforts at adopting the nuances in the ‘walk and talk’ of the people of the region is applaudable. Her soulful acting when she chooses boxing over her father or when she decides to get married at the peak of her career in spite of her coach’s warning or when she realises just how much she has sacrificed for the sake of love or when she fights in the world championship final while her son is undergoing surgery – are the scenes that keep you glued to the screen. Her decision to take boxing classes for real made her seem a natural on reel.

Mary Kom promises to be an impactful experience. It encourages you to stay true to yourself and never let go of your dreams. The story of Mary Kom’s life is truly an inspiring one. No wonder she is a role model for girls all over India. This five times World Boxing Champion has conquered all hurdles on the path to glory and we wish her great luck for her future endeavours too. With every punch that she delivers, may it hit a new record in the world of boxing.

Paradoxically, this soaring tale of their rebel female will not be available to the locals of Manipur. Following a ban on Hindi movies and television series since 2000, no Bollywood flick has been screened in the local theatres. The extremists group believe that exposing the locals to the culture of mainland India may ruin their indigenous culture for good. Unfortunately, these sections fail to realise that when people move out of the state for higher studies and greener pastures, they face a great loss in the form of unawareness. Culture is not something that can be blemished, it can only be enhanced.

Further, there is discordance among the Manipuri people with the film not featuring any local actors. Instead of using a freckle-faced Priyanka, Manipuri actress Soma Laisharam believes that a Manipuri actress would have made a better Manipuri boxer. Incidentally, even the shooting has been done at locations outside the state of Manipur. Under such circumstances there is little doubt that the film will not be made an exception to the ban. Posters and hoardings across the state have sparked off debate on whether the story of this national icon should be treated as a special case. This is what Mary’s coach had to say, “So what if they haven’t used a Manipuri actress, the story is ours. We should be proud as Indians”. Isn’t this the same as contesting Sir Ben Kingsley for the role of Mahatma Gandhi in the 1982 classic, Gandhi? Are we any less proud of Gandhi or his achievements just because it was not played by an Indian? Or did we not shower Sir Kingsley with heaps of appreciation for his admirable performance? It, in fact, gave us a larger reach just what casting a mainstream actress is doing for MC Mary Kom.

The charisma of great people is such that no mere ban can thwart their fans from staying connected with them. No wonder the people are thronging to neighbouring states to catch their hero in action. And those who are not able to do so are faithfully waiting for the movie to be available on DVDs.

For all those movie buffs out there, Mary Kom is a must-watch. Be sure to book your tickets the next chance you get. Cheers to Priyanka! Cheers to Mary! Cheers to Life!

Megha Jhunjhunwala