Mary Kom (film)

Mary Kom
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Omung Kumar
Written by	Karan Singh Rathore Ramendra Vasishth (dialogue)
Screenplay by	Saiwyn Quadras
Story by	Saiwyn Quadras
Produced by	Viacom 18 Motion Pictures Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Starring	Priyanka Chopra Darshan Kumaar Sunil Thapa
Cinematography	Keiko Nakahara
Edited by	Rajesh G. Pandey Sanjay Leela Bhansali
Music by	Songs: Shashi Suman and Shivam Pathak Background Score: Rohit Kulkarni
Production company	Bhansali Productions
Distributed by	Viacom 18 Motion Pictures
Release date	5 September 2014 (2014-09-05)
Running time	122 minutes
Country	India
Language	Hindi
Budget	₹150 million (US$1.8 million)
Box office	₹1.04 billion (US$12 million)

Mary Kom is a 2014 Indian biographical sports drama film directed by Omung Kumar and produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali. The film is a biopic about five-times female World Boxing Champion and Olympic bronze medalist Mary Kom, following her story from her childhood in India to her victory at the 2008 World Boxing Championships in Ningbo City. The story and screenplay were written by Saiwyn Quadras, who also suggested the storyline to Kumar for his directorial debut. The film stars Priyanka Chopra in the lead role as the boxer Mary Kom, with Darshan Kumar and Sunil Thapa supporting as her husband, Onler Kom and M. Narjit Singh respectively. Chopra makes her first appearance as a playback singer for a Lullaby called "Chaoro".

The film was made on a budget of ₹150 million (US$1.8 million) and, after premiering at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival, it was released on 5 September 2014. Chopra’s performance was well received. The film grossed ₹1.04 billion (US$12 million) at the box-office. Mary Kom won several awards and nominations. At the 60th Filmfare Awards, the film was nominated for Best Film and Best Actress for Chopra. It won the National Film Award for Best Popular Film Providing Wholesome Entertainment at the 62nd National Film Awards.

Plot

The movie opens with a pregnant Mary Kom (Priyanka Chopra), heading towards the hospital with her husband Onler Kom (Darshan Kumaar). Onler is mistaken for an insurgent and beaten when he tries to find a vehicle despite a curfew.

The film shifts to a flashback with Mangte Chungeijang Kom, finding boxing gloves in the remains of an air crash in 1991, which prompted her interest in boxing despite her father's disapproval.

During an early fight, she chases a boy and ends up in a boxing gym. Coach Narjit Singh is the coach of the Asian Champion Dingko Singh, and Kom tells him about her boxing aspirations. He asks her to visit the gym for next 30 days and says that he will only teach her if she is deserving enough to be taught.

She starts visiting the gym, telling her mother but not her father. Day passes and her father does not enquire about her. However, due to Kom's dedication and stubbornness, Coach Singh starts training her, suggesting she change her name to Mary Kom.

After winning the state level Championship, her father confronts her for hiding from him and taking part in the sport. Her father asks her to choose between him and boxing: Kom chooses her sport.

Kom has to fight a wrestler in order to arrange money to get her household cow back, which is where she meets the footballer Onler Kom.

After watching the 2002 Women's World Amateur Boxing Championships on television, Kom reconciles with her father, who apologizes to her for not understanding her passion for the sport. Onler meanwhile proposes to her and agrees never to ask her to leave boxing. After she wins the 2006 Women's World Amateur Boxing Championships, Kom agrees to marry him; however, her Coach shows his unhappiness towards Kom's marriage decision.

After her marriage, Kom becomes pregnant. Although she misses participation, she gives up her career to look after her family.

Kom's delivery in hospital is then shown,. She gives birth to twins and applies for a government job. However, when offered the position of a constable she refuses, feeling that as a world-champion boxer, she is above that position. It devastates her to learn that people no longer recognize her.

Onler encourages her to revive her boxing training. She joins the gym again, leaving her husband to look after the children at home. Her coach is still upset about her decision to marry, but Kom makes a comeback in the National Boxing Championship. Despite scoring better than her opponent, she loses the match due to the apparent partiality of the judges. Kom throws a chair in anger towards the judges, resulting in a ban. She later makes a written apology, and the official accepts it while at the same time insulting her.

Kom then asks her coach asking to train her, as he is the one who can get the best out of her. He starts training her with grueling activities. She reaches the finals of the 2008 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships. Meanwhile, Onler Kom informs her about one of her children having a hole in their heart. In the subsequent fight, Kom fails to defend herself. After a knockout punch from her opponent, Kom sees her husband and children in the audience as a hallucination. She regains her strength and fights back, winning the 2008 Women's World Amateur Boxing Championships.

On the podium while accepting the medal, she learns that her son's surgery was successful. She is given the nickname "Magnificent Mary" and the film ends with the Indian flag and the national anthem.

Cast

• Priyanka Chopra as Mary Kom
• Sunil Thapa as M. Narjit Singh
• Darshan Kumar as Onler Kom
• Robin Das as Mangte Tonpa Kom
• Rajni Basumatary as Mangte Akham Kom
• Lin Laishram as Bem-Bem
• Bijou Thaangjam as Naobi
• Zachary Coffin as German boxing coach
• Bandari Raghavendra as Peter Michael
• Raghav Tiwari as Mangi
• Shishir Sharma
• Shakti Singh as S. Sharma
• Kenny Basumatary as Jimmy
• Ritika Murthy as journalist
• Raghav Tiwari as Mangi
• Binud Kumbang as Lalboi
• Pabitra Rabha Jalah as Asong
• Ramendra Vasishth as Federation official’s assistant
• Rajesh Nigam as Federation official’s assistant
• Deepak Kumar Singh as Alberto
• Mridul Satam as Young Mary Kom

Development

Origin

Mary Kom was hailed as a National hero after the Olympic win, which also highlighted her previous achievements.

During his work on Saawariya (2007), Omung Kumar started writing two scripts simultaneously for his directorial debut venture. However, neither of the films were made and instead, Kumar told his writer Saiwyn Quadras to look for a woman-oriented biographical topic for his first film, specifying "a story/role that no actress would turn down". He added that he "wanted to make a film that would be like the Mother India of someone’s career". Historical personalities such as Rani Laxmi Bai and Queen Elizabeth I of England came up for discussion; however they did not inspire Kumar.

Quadras put forward the name of World Boxing Champion Mary Kom and approached Kumar with the script he had started writing. Kumar admits he had no idea who she was, and reflected that he felt ashamed after being told of Kom's achievements. He explained that "when Saiwyn told me she was an Indian boxing champion, I looked her up. After reading up on her, I felt ashamed that I didn’t know this five-time Indian world boxing champion. So what if I didn’t follow boxing? The woman brought pride to the nation! Sadly, many were unaware about her existence." He therefore to make a film about Kom as his directorial debut. Quadras arranged a meeting with her with the help of her manager, during year that he started writing the script. Kumar went to Manipur to meet Kom and to gain her permission to make the film. However, Kom was surprised by the development as the sport, especially women's boxing, is not well known in India. She thought that Kumar was joking; however, she was enthuasiastic about the idea. Kom said "When Omung came to me I was a five-time World Amateur Boxing champion. I was surprised why he would want to make a movie on me and thought he was joking or gone mad! Boxing, especially in women's section, is not so well known in India as it's hardly reported, and no one recognized me as Mary Kom."

In 2012, Sanjay Leela Bhansali had a meeting with Kumar, who worked in Bhansali's films such as Black (2005) and Saawariya. Bhansali asked him about his plans, and Kumar told him about the film. Kumar explained that this was not "his kind of film", given Bhansali's previous work. However, Bhansali wanted to hear the story and was also enthusiastic for it to be made. Kumar explained that the film was out of the comfort zone (opulent drama) for both of them and that helped them continue with the project. Kumar explained that "When [Bhansali] heard the story, he immediately signed me on because this film is neither his style nor mine. So he knew we’d do something great together.” However, Kumar's industry colleagues were not sure if a film based in Manipur would be well received by an audience. This concern evaporated after the 2012 Olympics, where Kom won a bronze medal. Her win also brought the recognition of her previous achievements. News of the film's development of the film broke after Kom's Olympic medal. The makers clarified that the film was in development since 2010, before the Olympics, and they were not influenced by her recent success. In an interview, Bhansali described the film as "a rare experiment": "It is an inspiring story that touched my heart. Not many films are based on biopics of living people, so this is a rare experiment. I am proud that I am part of this film."

Writing

Saiwyn Quadras, interested in sports news, started writing the screenplay for the film in 2011, believing that despite Kom’s achievements as a boxer, she was not generally well known in her native country. The script took two years to complete. He had been following her story for almost a decade, explaining "I read about her victories in small corners of the sports section. I remember reading about how she struggled her way up to reach where she was and how her struggle was still ongoing." Research for the film was done through the sources and informations available online and newspaper archives. Online videos played a key role in the research.

The writer also had several telephone and email conversations with Kom and her manager regarding her biography In her interactions with Quadras and Kumar, Kom was honest and forthcoming when it came to the details of her life, and had significant input in the screenplay. However, Saiwyn Quadras 's main challenge was to make the film both authentic and cinematic, explaining that he wrote the film in a manner that showed the struggles Kom went through as a female sportsperson who had to confront opposition from her father, politics and making a comeback after a long career break.

Casting

Priyanka Chopra was Omung Kumar's and Sanjay Leela Bhansali's original choice for the title role. In early November 2012, media reports suggested that Priyanka Chopra was in talks for the lead role, something that Chopra denied initially. However, the same month, it was confirmed that Chopra had been cast for the part. Chopra was initially skeptical about the film due to the demanding nature of the character, which included training, muscle building and learning the sport. She later agreed to appear in the film because of having Kumar's confidence. After Chopra was cast for the title role, Mary Kom revealed her own satisfaction with the choice of actor, calling her the "perfect choice". In an interview with Daily News and Analysis, Mary Kom said "I don't think anybody could have done it as well as Priyanka. Priyanka is the best actress to play me. Acting anybody can do, but boxing will be different as one needs a certain type of body structure. Priyanka suits that. Her body is very structured, like that of a boxer."

In contrast, it took the casting directors Shruti Mahajan and Parag Mehta several months of auditions to finalise the appropriate supporting actors for the film. In May 2013, It was reported that Danny Denzongpa was approached to play Kom's coach Narjit Singh in the film. However, he could not do the film for unknown reasons. Later, Sunil Thapa was cast for the role of Kom's coach. Darshan Kumar was finalised as Kom's husband, footballer Onler Kom, after a series of auditions, which included three different looks representing three different stages in his life. Robin Das, a National School of Drama professor, was cast in the role of Kom’s father. Several professional boxers were cast as Chopra's opponent in the boxing ring, after the plans of casting actors as boxers was dropped.

Characters

Chopra, who always prepares for her role in films by understanding the nuance of her character, prepared for three months. The preparations included having the physique of a boxer and learning Boxing. She was particularly trained by Kom's coaches to learn her distinct boxing style. However, the main problem was that Kom is a left hander and Chopra is a right hander. Her team of coaches taught Chopra all the boxing styles, which Kom incorporates during boxing. She said "To learn boxing was a religion. Today, I can play the sport as I know the rules, body posture, foot work, I can hit, I can defend I know the game and that was the big take away for me from the film. I did not have to act like a boxer, but I had to become one and that was spiritual." Later, In July 2013, Chopra visited Kom's home town of Manipur to learn more about her life. As a part of her research, Chopra stayed with Kom and her family for three to four days, went to her boxing academy and church in order to bring about Kom's personality. Chopra said she used to call Kom for details. Kom herself stated "When she came to Manipur, she knew about boxing so I gave her tips as a mother and a wife, how I went about managing my home and profession, how I live with my family — basically she got to know aspects about my family life." Chopra apparently noted many similarities between them. She said that her story was same as that of Mary Kom as they both had to struggle in their respect fields terming it as "the story of every girl".

Chopra started training in April 2013, when her father was ill as she had to develop a body like a boxer. Chopra had to train vigorously to attain a physique like a boxer, which she found very difficult. In an Interview with Deccan Chronicle, she said "As a girl it was very difficult to build those muscles. I had to build them in three months what Mary did in 15 years." Chopra described the film as very special and personal due to the inspiring theme. She revealed that she channeled grief of father's death into the film saying "I started this film at the hardest point in my life, four days after my father passed away. All my grief, everything, I have shoved into this movie. Every single day of making this movie has been a challenge. A part of my soul has gone into it. I would go home, cry and tell my mother, ‘I don’t think I can do this’ and be back on the sets next day." Chopra did not tried to imitate Kom as her main focus was to represent Kom's spirit and personality.

Darshan Kumar described his character as an "encouraging husband", who is the pillar of strength in Kom's life. He said "Mary’s life is incomplete without Onler. He is the main part in her life, who supported her and motivated her all the time." He found the character challenging due to contrasting personality of his and Onler Kom saying "He is a man of few words, very sophisticated and I am very energetic always, so that was a big challenge." Unlike Chopra (who met Mary Kom before the film), Kumar did not met Onler Kom before the film, working mainly from videos provided by Kom to the makers, and helping the actor to understand the nuances of his character. Preparing for the role, he had to undergo training to learn the Manipuri accent, which was difficult for him being a Punjabi. Kumar had to lose 12 kg in weight to look convincing, and followed a strict grilled chicken and oil-free fish protein diet for three months. He said "I was made to have seven small meals every day. I ended up looking so gaunt I couldn’t recognise myself in the mirror."

Pre-production

The art direction and production design was handled by Kumar's wife Vanita Kumar, who had worked with her husband Omung for several years. She said "This time, we were doing something we never did before. Being our own project, we had both freedom and responsibility." After plans to shoot in Manipur were dropped because of logistics issues, an extensive research was done to find locations similar to Manipur. Their search ended in Himachal Pradesh, where they found similar locations as Manipur in Manali and Dharamsala. During the search, Vanita found two houses that were similar to the houses where Kom spent her childhood and where she lived after her marriage.

Vanita used a real structure instead of a set to show Kom’s childhood home in Kangathei. She recreated the look and feel of Manipur in Dharamsala and Manali. For authenticity, the house was filled with items similar to those found at Kom's house, observed during the research for the film, such as indigenous short stools and woven curtains sourced from Manipur. The designers also created a room for the boxer's awards and trophies; Kom has a separate trophy room where all her awards are kept. Quotes from the Bible were added on the walls. Vanita chose a 17th-century church in Dharamsala for the wedding sequence and the décor was made similar to what Kom had during the ceremony. Vanita noted that "the cinematic realism, was a different experience from the grandeur of Bhansali's sets." However, Vanita found it was more difficult to recreate the run-down gym where Kom was trained. A place was chosen with minimal facilities and water leaking onto the walls. She revealed that her sets had to feel authentic rather than artificially created. Designer Rajat Tangri handled costuming. He visited Manipur to study fabric used in local clothing. Tangri used photographs from Kom's childhood to create clothing which ranged from traditional to sporty and athletic attires.

The makers hired the Hollywood make-up artist Mark Garbarino to work on Chopra's make-up. At first, they wanted her to look exactly like Kom by using prosthetic make-up. Chopra did a prosthetics test in the US which included heavier eyelids for a more East Asian look. However, the final result did not appeal to the makers. Another problem was that the prosthetics would not hold during filming the heavy action boxing scenes, meaning the idea was abandoned.

Make-up artist Subhash Shinde, who worked on Bhansali's Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela was employed. He used prosthetic make-up for the first time in his career. One of the biggest challenges was to make the fight marks look as realistic as possible. According to him, creating boxing scars with prosthetic make-up was challenging as it required a lot of time and detailing. He said "Every punch or scar needed to look real, change colour and age with time on screen. A fresh punch is not the same after a few days. It changes even in a few hours. I had to take care of all that because at the end of the day, these marks shouldn’t look like they were created using make-up. It ought to look original and I’m glad it has come out well." He did some research by visiting hospitals to understand more about skin injuries, consulting doctors for the same. He wanted to gain the understanding the mechanism of skin which changes over a period of time. Re-creating Kom's hair was also difficult: the process was time-consuming, and Chopra's thicker hair required complete covering and then a weave which closely replicated natural hair.

Filming

Principal photography started in June 2013 at Filmistan, Mumbai. Chopra started the filming few days after the death of her father. Hindustan Times reported that the set was ready at Filmistan studio, but following her father's death, the plans for shooting were put on hold. The first schedule consisted of twenty days, during which only the boxing sequences were filmed continuously on a set in Filmistan studios. For filming the boxing scenes as authentic as possible, some of the crew members including Kumar learnt boxing to get an understanding, so that can help to shoot the sport. Initially, the makers had planned to use actors and teaching them boxing to film the boxing scenes. However, they realised that it would become a task to teach boxing to actors, which would be time consuming. It was also realised that if both Chopra and her opponents were fake-boxing, it would not look convincing. Finally, professional boxers were employed to film the boxing sequences for giving more natural feel and convincing look. Chopra found it very difficult filming the boxing scenes as she got hurt several times saying "It was very difficult to shoot with them because they are real boxers and they don't know how to fake a punch, they had to really hit you. So I had to get hit a lot and that was really hard." Robert Miller, the sports coordinator for films such as Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Chak! De India, was hired to choreograph the fight sequences. The Boxing scenes took 15 hours of filming for 20 days to complete.

The second schedule started in Manali and was revised to forty-five days (from 28 February to 15 April 2014), after Chopra was done with her other film commitments. Before filming, Chopra had to re-train herself all over again to build muscles. Bhansali planned an elaborate schedule for her, which would ensure that her physicality and agility was well before she begins shooting for the film. Initially shooting was to take place in Manipur. However, the plan was cancelled due to security concerns and a major portion of the state was created in Manali, where the outdoor filming was done. During the filming a sequence in a marketplace, more than ten thousand people gathered on the sets. Limited security arrangements had been made, which were not able to handle the crowds in what was not believed to be a heavily-populated area. When Chopra stepped out of her van, some fans tried to approach her, causing the general loss of control. Finally, the shoot was cancelled and crew had to leave. After four hours, the area was evacuated when security was tightened; half a day was lost in the process. During filming one of the fight sequences in Dharamsala, she suffered an injury under her right eye, which the make-up team exaggerated for effect. The film was shot in 57 days over two years.

Soundtrack

Untitled

The soundtrack album of the film consists of seven original songs, which were composed by Shashi-Shivam (Pathak). Lyrics were written by Prashant Ingole, Sandeep Singh and Bijou Thaangjam (Manipuri Lyrics); Priyanka Chopra makes her second appearance as a playback singer for a lullaby called "Chaoro".

The song "Salaam India", composed by Shivam Pathak was chosen as the official song at the Asian Games 2014, held in South Korea from September 19 to October 4.

The soundtrack album received positive reviews from music critics. Bollywood Life rated the album 4 stars out of 5, describing it as a "terrific album". The Times of India also gave it a positive review, noting that the soundtrack is both, "inspirational and soul-stirring", declaring the opening track "Ziddi Dil" as a clear winner that could lift anyone's spirits in a time of distress. Bollywood Hungama gave it a rating of 3.5 out of 5, noting that the composers does justice to the theme of the film. Writing for Rediff.com, Joginder Tuteja gave the soundtrack a rating of 3 out of 5, calling it "motivational", and adding that "Mary Kom's soundtrack may not be an instant chartbuster but it holds its own". The Koimoi review noted that all the songs on the album are an "absolute delight to hear" and also wrote "The Mary Kom album is a good blend of romantic to inspirational numbers. The classic mix of excellent singers by composers Shashi Suman and Shivam has given the album some great numbers." The Financial Express gave it another positive review and wrote "the music of Mary Kom performs well [...], the music composers have done a fairly good job".

Track listing

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Singer(s)	Length
1.	"Ziddi Dil"	Prashant Ingole	Shashi	Vishal Dadlani	4:46
2.	"Sukoon Mila"	Sandeep Singh	Shivamm	Arijit Singh	3:19
3.	"Adhure"	Prashant Ingole	Shashi	Sunidhi Chauhan	3:49
4.	"Teri Baari"	Prashant Ingole	Shashi	Mohit Chauhan	3:07
5.	"Saudebaazi"	Prashant Ingole	Shashi	Arijit Singh	3:27
6.	"Salaam India"	Sandeep Singh	Shivamm	Vishal Dadlani, Salim Merchant	3:54
7.	"Chaoro (Lori)"	Sandeep Singh and Bijou Thaangjam (Manipuri lyrics)	Shashi	Priyanka Chopra	2:33

Marketing and release

Preview

The first poster for the film was revealed on 14 July 2014 by Chopra through her Twitter account. It portrayed a muscular Priyanka Chopra as "Mary Kom" in sports clothing, with her hair tied in a pony tail, punching a bag. It received positive feedback from film critics, Hindustani film industry professionals, and audiences alike. The Hindustan Times noted that "[w]ith well-built muscles and a completely toned body, Priyanka looks fierce in the poster where she is posing with a punch." The poster went viral on social media, with the hashtag "#MaryKomFirstLook" trending in India and in many countries across the world. NDTV noted that "her fans and her peers commented on the poster and tweets kept flowing in through the night." On 15 July, Chopra tweeted another poster for the film, which was also well-received The final poster was released the same day. The first teaser was released on Chopra's birthday, 18 July, and showed the actor as Kom getting ready for her boxing match, with the tagline "Most Champions Make Their Name. She Made History". The trailer release was highly anticipated, with media reporting that it would be unveiled on 24 July 2014. However, it was released the day before at an event on 23 July. It had a positive reception from media and critics.

Chopra visited IIM Ahmedabad for promotions of the film. She was featured in the 12th episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati hosted by Amitabh Bachchan. The episode emphasized female empowerment, with Chopra playing on the behalf of "The Red Brigade", a feminist self-defence NGO. The sum won by Chopra went to the NGO. Bachchan expressed a desire to have a boxing match with Chopra and the set was turned into a boxing ring, where Chopra and Bachchan played a faux boxing match. She also appeared on several television programmes such as Jhalak Dikhlaja and Comedy Nights with Kapil. Bhansali Productions released a doll, which looked like Chopra as Mary Kom.

Release

The film was originally scheduled for release on 2 October 2014 (on Gandhi Jayanti). However it was announced that the film was postponed to an uncertain date to revamp the film into a much larger sports biopic than before. The media reported that the makers were working on two different versions, a longer version for the Indian market and another for the international market. After the uncertainty of a release date for a month, it was announced that the film would be finally released on 5 September (Teacher's Day) thus clashing with Chopra's cousin Parineeti Chopra starrer Daawat-e-Ishq. However, Yash Raj Films requested Bhansali to shift the release date. He refused due to previous release date changes of the film and start of promotional activities. Later, Yash Raj Films shifted Daawat-e-Ishq released date by two weeks.

Mary Kom had its world premiere at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival on 4 September 2014. It became the first Hindi film to be screened on the opening night of the film festival. It was initially released to 1500 screens worldwide. The film was released in overseas markets by Eros International as part of a four-film deal between Eros and Viacom 18 studios. The release of the film was planned in a phased manner. The first phase, targeting diaspora audiences, had a limited release in traditional markets for Bollywood films such as the United States, United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates. The rights to television broadcasting belongs to Viacom18's flagship general entertainment channel Colors. The film was not released in Kom's home state of Manipur because of the ban on Bollywood films by the Imphal-based separatist militant group Revolutionary Peoples Front (RPF) since 2000. In an interview with Press Trust of India, Kom expressed her sadness saying "I feel very sad that people everywhere are seeing the film made on my life but not the people in Manipur. It is risky to release it here so I think it is better not to do it. But me and the government tried their best to get it released." Pirated DVDs and VCDs flooded the state, with the DVD format being in great demand as the only option for native people to watch the film. Kom expressed her anger saying "Those who banned Hindi films should also stop this black marketeering of the film. Some unscrupulous elements are exploiting the situation. This is unfair."

Budget

Made on a budget of ₹150 million (US$1.8 million) including, production, prints and advertising, Mary Kom earned ₹200 million (US$2.4 million), and before release recouped more than its cost from brand tie-ups. The film made profits of ₹50 million (US$600,000) before the release. Partnership was arranged in such a way that the products from brands were either showcased in the film or the brands promoted the film in their advertising.

Home Video

The DVD of the film was released on 15 October 2014 across all regions in a one-disc pack in NTSC format. Distributed by Shemaroo Entertainment, it contained additional content, such as behind-the-scene footage and deleted scenes. The VCD and Blu-Ray versions were released at the same time. Mary Kom Blu-Ray is the first Blu-ray title in India to feature a Dolby Atmos soundtrack.

Critical reception

Chopra's performance received positive reviews. Subhash K. Jha awarded the film 5 stars out of 5 describing it as "a motivational masterpiece": "From first frame to last it grips your senses and irrigates the parched corridors of your heart like very few bio-pics in recent times. Debutant director Omang Kumarweaves seamlessly in and out of Ms Kom’s remarkable life creating a work that is as dramatic as Mehboob’s Mother India and as inspiring as Attenborough’s Gandhi. Rediff.com rated the film 4.5 out of 5, noting it as a victory for its protagonist Chopra, scriptwriter Saiwyn Quadras, and director Omung Kumar and writing that "Mary's story is delivered with a sincerity that makes it irresistible." In another positive review, Sonia Chopra from Sify described the film as a "thrilling ringside view", saying that "Mary Kom is an important film that's hugely inspiring. But more importantly, it's also great fun to watch." The Times of India gave the film a rating of 4 stars out of 5 calling it as Bollywood's answer to Academy Award-winning film Million Dollar Baby (2004). Bollywood Hungama gave it 4 stars, stating "Omung Kumar certainly deserves an ovation for having shown the guts to make a biopic on Mary Kom, something which will surely go down in the history of exemplary biopics on Indian celluloid." Namrata Joshi from Outlook rated the film with 3 stars out of 4 and commented on the simple, unpretentious storyline that dramatised important events from the champion’s life.

Bhawana Somaaya rated the film 4 stars out of 5, stating that film was not solely a medium for entertainment and that the main purpose of Mary Kom was to depict courage, stability, truth and innocence. The Economic Times gave a rating of 4 stars out of 5, noting that the film is well on its way to being one of the most praised sports-based films since Chak De India and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and wrote "This is one of those boxing movies which is much more than boxing. It takes you to a place which is beyond ruptured cheeks, cracked jaws and fractured ribs of the protagonist." Yahoo! India rated the film 4 stars out of 5 and noted that it evoked many emotions, calling it a "must watch".

Writing for Hindustan Times, Anupama Chopra rated the film 3 out of 5 noted it as a "worthy attempt" and said that the film had sincerity and was crafted with care. Mayank Shekhar also rated the film with 3 stars, stating that his biggest concern before getting into the film was that the film-makers (Sanjay Leela Bhansali) would excessively "Bollywood-ise" Kom's story. He commented that this fear was "thankfully" unfounded. Sarita A Tanwar of Daily News and Analysis rated the film 3 stars (out of 5) praising the performances but criticised the film itself. On the contrary, Business Standard criticised the film for not showing enough about boxing in general rather than Kom in particular. It stated that "while Mary Kom is entertaining, it should have aspired to be more." Rajeev Masand wrote that the film was "watchable, but never great like it should've been". Shubhra Gupta from The Indian Express gave a rating of two and half noting "Film gets bloated by extraneous songs" and criticised the product placements calling them a "distraction from the story." The India Today reviewer, Rohit Khilnani criticised Kumar's direction and wrote "The story is predictable from the word go and there are absolutely no surprise elements. A lot could have been done with such a strong protagonist but the director doesn't experiment." Sudhish Kamath from The Hindu criticised the film, saying the film should be only watched for Chopra, but that the script was generic and predictable, and the plot was actually manipulative.

Box office

The film was released on September 5, 2014 in around 1500 screens across India Its first day box office collection is the 11th highest of 2014 The film took ₹17.7 crore (US$2.1 million) in 2 days, Sunday earnings showing a 20% growth from Saturday, making ₹10.75 crore (US$1.3 million) in total. The film grossed approximately ₹27.24 crore (US$3.3 million) nett over its first weekend. Movie had drop of 55% on first Monday and went on to collect ₹3.5 crore (US$420,000) making four day total ₹30.5 crore (US$3.7 million).

Overseas, the film earned around ₹34 lakh (US$41,000) from the US box office and ₹16 lakh (US$19,000) from the UK and reached a lifetime gross of ₹16 crore (US$1.9 million).

The movie collected ₹64 crore (US$7.7 million) at domestic box office after its fifth week and grossed ₹104 crore (US$12 million) worldwide.

Impact

The Bombay High Court suggested that the Sports Authority of India should watch the film before the next hearing of an allegation of discrimination in team selection. The Times of India reported that the suggestion was made in a by a division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice M S Sonak while seeking responses of the Sports Authority of India among others.

The film also inspired a dance style. Since the film was released before the festive season of Durga Puja, choreographers in Gujrat incorporated "Mary Kom" punching-style in garba. The dance style was being taught at various garba classes across the state, which included Mary Kom-style boxing into garba with steps like punching in the air.

External links

• Official website
• Mary Kom at IMDb