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Review: Sultan is really just about Salman Khan's ascent to superstar status

Review: Sultan is really just about Salman Khan's ascent to superstar status

It isn't a biopic, but it's hard not to see how the film parallels the myth of its leading man
07 Jul, 2016

Mixed martial arts league promoter Akash (Amit Sadh) needs a star fighter, preferably an Indian, to boost the prospects of his upcoming tournament. His father advises him to go see what Sultan Ali Khan is up to these days.

Sultan (Salman Khan), the most famous wrestling export of his small town in Haryana and Olympic gold medal winner, spends his days collecting funds for a yet unknown cause and waiting outside a shrine for a daily glimpse of his beloved Aarfa (Anushka Sharma).

It was love that made the former cable television supplier strip down to his black briefs and enter the dusty pits of the local wrestling scene, love that spurred him on to shine in Aarfa’s initially sceptical eyes, and love that persuades him to pick himself up and become the lord of the ring yet again.

Using this basic and predictable sporting drama template, writer and director Ali Abbs Zafar drafts the most comprehensive mythos around Salman Khan yet.

Every frame of Sultan will have deep significance for Khan’s numerous fans, who have stuck by Hindi cinema’s notorious prodigal son despite his frequent off-screen controversies. Lines such as “I am a rare kind of guy”, “Only I know what is churning inside of me”, “My real fight is to earn back my respect”, “I am not married because I haven’t found the right woman” and “I get my kicks not from alcohol but from love” will be cherished by Khan’s devotees as dearly as religious edicts and cited as proof of their idol’s fundamental innocence.

There’s no denying how conservative and male-centric the movie is. Anushka Sharma, never convincing either as a wrestler or as the great love of Sultan’s life, is saddled with being one of many satellites in Sultan’s ever-expanding orbit.

A lengthy flashback reveals Sultan’s life-altering encounter with Aarfa, and it’s telling that his first mode of contact with her is through a punch. Tripped by a helmet-wearing biker, Sultan raises his fists, only to realise that the face behind the helmet belongs to a bold young woman who also happens to be a wrestler. Reasoning that if doctors and teachers prefer their kind, wrestlers must too, Sultan trains hard and becomes a medal gatherer in about as long as it takes you to say “Rocky Balboa.”

Sultan declares that he has wandered around the world but not found anybody like Aarfa (the lyrics of the lovely song “Jag Ghoomiya” are by Irshad Kamil), but love at first punch proves costly for her. Zafar finds various excuses for relegating Aarfa to the sidelines after presenting her as catalyst for Sultan’s ambitions, but there’s no denying how conservative and male-centric the movie is. Anushka Sharma, never convincing either as a wrestler or as the great love of Sultan’s life, is saddled with being one of many satellites in Sultan’s ever-expanding orbit.

The screenplay’s by-the-numbers quality would have been severely exposed if any other actor had been cast as the lead. If Sultan remains engaging throughout its staggering 170-minute run-time, it’s because of what it says about the actor rather than the character.

Sustained by the leading man’s magnetic pull, nicely cast supporting actors (Anant Sharma is especially good as Sultan’s sidekick Govind), a welcome lack of melodrama, and a setting that looks less plastic than the average A-list movie, Sultan is the apogee of the Salman Khan cult.

Sultan is billed as fiction but at its heart, it’s really a biopic of Salman Khan.

It’s the second Yash Raj Films production in the year after the Shah Khan Khan starrer Fan whose metaphorical possibilities are far more interesting than the plot itself.

Although its brawny lead actor makes a winning effort to play a fictional person rather than himself, Salman Khan is Sultan Ali Khan and Sultan Ali Khan is Salman Khan. For anybody who has not understood a point that is made in scene after scene, Sultan has a vision of his younger self in the ring when facing a dangerous opponent.

When Sultan steps into the ring, the slogan “Kar de chatai” (Lay them low) resounds in the arena, which stands in for the movie theatre where Khan has risen, fallen, and picked himself up over and over again throughout his eventful life and career. The year’s other big wrestling film, Dangal, is an upcoming biopic of Haryana coach Mahavir Singh Phogat, who made ace fighters out of his daughters and niece.

Sultan is billed as fiction but at its heart, it’s really a biopic of Salman Khan, the dark star who has now attained supernova status.

Comments

Rana Jul 07, 2016 10:58am
After so many years as actors it's time these actors show some acting caliber if they have any as unknown to their gullible third world audience.
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Rahul Jul 07, 2016 11:01am
He is better off playing roles of old men.... i dont see his films .. phew! Is he still playing such roles ?and people actually liking him baffals me.. Rahul
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Ajay vikram Singh Jul 07, 2016 11:34am
@Rahul - If SRK can romance with 20 years old girls, same age as that of his daughter, then why cant Salman do this?
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Abdullah Jul 07, 2016 12:00pm
I have to disagree with the reviewer's opinion. Saw the movie yesterday and I am not a big fan of Salman. But I found the movie to be thoroughly enjoyable. Salman's role is shown as a 40+ year person which is a sensible thing from the film makers. The movies shows a lot of vulnerabilities of the hero as a human being and he comes across as an indestructible superman. Yes, there are a few bollywood cliche moments but they don't spoil the overall taste. Great acting by Anushka actually and also by some support actors including Salman's fried. Overall a nice well packed entertainment.
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KnowTheTruth Jul 07, 2016 12:16pm
@Ajay vikram Singh It appears that nowadays audience have no expectations from films. They are willing to spend few hundred bucks for 3 hours of bakwaas which serves as timepass in Airconditioned theatre, popping popcorn watching the same 50+ years old heros, with little acting skills and any variation in performance, doing same robotic/acrobatic dance steps with 20 something models. It is no wonder that these so called 100 crore club films never go anywhere near the oscars(or even national awards).
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Madhusudan Jul 07, 2016 01:11pm
Salman still looks young and he has energy to carry film on his shoulder.
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Dipak Singh Jul 07, 2016 02:24pm
Already Sultan is huge hit in India.. collecting 40 crore INR in first day. although I'm not a fan of Salman but I agree people still like him like a mad, why I don't know the actual reason.
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Fried Chillies Jul 07, 2016 02:35pm
For the most part the average moviegoer in India today has rather poor standards of expectations.
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Awesome Lyrics Jul 07, 2016 03:49pm
Watched it with family. A complete family entertainer and I must say it will promote wrestling the old and traditional sport of the sub-continent.
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Sat Jul 07, 2016 05:16pm
@Rahul BTW why ur commenting when u don't watch his films......Begani Shadi Mein Abdulla Deewana...LOL
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Ajay vikram Singh Jul 07, 2016 06:05pm
Film is essentially based around M.K. Gandhi's famous quote - Only person who can defeat you is you yourself. If you don't lose out to yourself, nobody can beat you.
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Arif Jul 08, 2016 03:08am
actually i was surprised.....i dont consider Salman a very good actor. He is just a commercial actor who has 6 movies in the top 10 list of best sellers but in this movie he has acted very well. Out of all the khans, Amir Khan is the best with acting abilities.
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Brijesh Jul 08, 2016 06:09am
Saw the movie what was hard to digest is how easily Sultan becomes an Olympic and a world champion. it kind of rediculed real life Champions like Shushil kumar who dedicated their entire life for Olympic medals. Time pass entertainment don't expect anything logical.
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prathamesh Jul 08, 2016 03:50pm
@Brijesh its not a documentary...simple
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amir Jul 09, 2016 03:19am
@Rahul count me in and specially with a 50 plus man romancing a 20 plus....I thought Bollywood was transitioning into more quality films but with these old guards like Salman, Amir and Sharuk around with their layers on make up on, it will probably be another 10 years.. or may be not ...may be they will have a 60 plus old man still with a 20 plus girl...eeewww
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