Paan Singh Tomar

About the film

Paan Singh Tomar is a 2010 Indian Hindi-language biographical film about Paan Singh Tomar, a soldier in the Indian Army and seven-time national steeplechase champion, who later became an armed dacoit against the corrupt system. The film is directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia and produced by UTV Motion Pictures. Irrfan Khan played the title role, with Mahie Gill, Vipin Sharma and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the supporting cast.

Made on a shoestring budget of ₹45 million (US$470,000), Paan Singh Tomar premiered at the London Film Festival in 2010. Two years later it was released in domestic theatres on 2 March 2012 and was commercially successful at the box office, with worldwide gross of ₹201.80 million (US$2.1 million). The film won Best Feature and Best Actor at the 60th National Film Awards.

Plot

An investigative reporter interviews Paan Singh Tomar, a notorious Chambal Valley dacoit who has recently made national headlines for the retaliatory slaughter of nine villagers. As Paan Singh narrates his life story, the narrative shifts into a protracted flashback beginning in 1950.

As a young man, Paan Singh serves in the Indian Army while his wife and mother manage their ancestral household in Morena, Madhya Pradesh. During basic training, his exceptional physical endurance and athletic potential catch the attention of his superior officers. Initially indifferent to athletics, Paan Singh agrees to join the military sports division solely because athletes are granted an unrestricted dietary ration. Originally trained for the 5000-meter track event, he is later reassigned to the 3000-meter steeplechase on the advice of his running coach. Paan Singh dominates the Indian National Games, securing the gold medal in the steeplechase event for seven consecutive years. In 1958, he represents India at the Asian Games in Tokyo but misses out on a podium finish due to his unfamiliarity with specialized track spikes, which were issued to him just prior to the final race. He later faces intense frustration when the military bars him from deploying to the frontlines during the 1962 Sino-Indian and 1965 Indo-Pakistani wars, as national sports assets are legally protected from combat zones. In 1967, he reaches the peak of his athletic career by winning a gold medal at the International Military Games.

The trajectory of Paan Singh's life shifts when his brother visits the military barracks to reveal that Bhanwar Singh, a wealthy and influential relative, has illegally usurped a major portion of their ancestral land. Rejecting a prestigious offer to remain in the military as an official sports coach, Paan Singh opts for an early retirement to resolve the domestic crisis. Back in Morena, he attempts a peaceful negotiation with Bhanwar Singh, but his overtures are met with outright hostility. He appeals to the District Collector and the local police precinct for legal intervention, but institutional corruption leaves him without recourse. The dispute escalates when Bhanwar Singh’s henchmen brutally assault Paan Singh's young son. To safeguard his lineage, Paan Singh commands his son to enlist in the army and leave the district. Shortly thereafter, Bhanwar Singh launches a lethal raid on the family estate. While most members escape, Paan Singh's elderly mother is violently murdered.

Production

Director Tigmanshu Dhulia first learned about Tomar while working on the set of Bandit Queen in Chambal. Intrigued that Tomar was largely forgotten despite holding several records, he resolved to make a film about his life. Dhulia worked for the film for two years, interviewing Tomar's surviving family members and visiting his native village in Bhind.

Dhulia wanted to make the film after fully researching Tomar. After its world premiere in 2010, Dhulia was in dilemma whether he is glorifying Paan Singh Tomar or going to depicting his notoriety.

The film was shot in the ravines of Chambal, in Dholpur and in the actual barracks Tomar lived in at Roorkee. To prepare for his role, Irrfan Khan trained rigorously with steeplechase coaches, even breaking his ankle at one point during the filming. He called the experience "the most physically and mentally demanding film of my career".

Soundtrack

The music was composed and arranged by Abhishek Ray. The soundtrack was largely Indian folk music with western influences.

Release

Paan Singh Tomar was released in India on 2 March 2012.

Critical reception

The New York Times praised Irrfan Khan's performance and wrote "Without romanticizing Paan Singh Tomar, he shows his basic honesty and gives him real depth. As an actor Mr. Khan rarely does the expected. You can’t take your eyes off him.". Rajeev Masand of IBN awarded the film 3.5 out of 5 stars, praising Khan's performance and said "Directed competently by Dhulia, who's familiar and comfortable even with the dusty terrain, Paan Singh Tomar is made with great attention to detail and paints an honest, realistic picture of an India few of us can claim to know." Avijit Ghosh of The Times of India rated the film 4 out of 5 stars and said "Sportsmen and outlaws inhabit two different universes. One shines amidst the bright lights of glory, and the other haunts the ravines of notoriety. But in director Tigmanshu Dhulia's biopic, Paan Singh Tomar, the two worlds collide. And the result is a rather exquisite blend of drama, humour and tragedy; altogether eminently enjoyable good cinema". Aseem Chhabra for Rediff.com gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and said "The tragedy of Paan Singh Tomar and Irrfan Khan's execution of the role are both compelling." Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama gave the film 3.5 out of 5 stars and said "Paan Singh Tomar shatters the standard rules of this genre. Besides, the film makes you cognizant that serious cinema can be uniformly delightful, like any other e…

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