Ms Dhoni The Untold Story: Hagiography or biography?

MS Dhoni The Untold Story

Director: Neeraj Pandey

Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Anupam Kher, Disha Patani, Kiara Advani, Rajesh Sharma, Kumud Mishra 

The movie follows the journey of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, a budding cricketer from Ranchi becoming the most successful captain of Indian Cricket Team. It was released in theatres on September 30, Friday.

Here are some of the reviews of the Biopic

INDIAN EXPRESS

 This film had potential to present us with the recent Indian cricketing story, warts and all. Sadly it’s more hagiography than biography: the cricketer is reduced to a being singing-romancing Bollywood hero rather than a top-flight cricketer, a master strategist, and a captain who led from the front. True champions have that edge that no one else does: on that score, the real-life Dhoni hits it out of the park, every single time. Too bad the reel Dhoni gets stumped just when he is getting started.

INDIA TODAY

As a film, The Untold Story stays true to every bit of highs in Dhoni’s life. Mark the word ‘highs’ here. Right from being discovered as a good goalkeeper by his sports teacher KC Bannerjee and asked to wicket-keep for his school to his life after making it to the India team, the film flashes a 1000-watt flashlight on the goodness of Dhoni. So powerful is this light that every little flaw in the man is washed out.

HINDUSTAN TIMES

A tribute to MSD’s success, this works due to the extensive research. They have also touched Dhoni’s tender sides also and the treatment is likely to suit the protagonist. In short, he may become a cleaner and bigger hero after the film. But, you have to give to Pandey to keep it intriguing enough for you to get hooked throughout the three hours. Unquestionably entertaining. Also, it’s the role of a lifetime for Sushant, and he has aced it.

NDTV

Neeraj Pandey’s M S Dhoni - The Untold Story is a highly unusual enterprise. Never before in the history of cinema has a biopic of an active sportsman been mounted with quite this level of patronage from the subject himself.  This unabashed puff-job has been bankrolled by Dhoni’s long-time confidant and business partner Arun Pandey and personally greenlighted by the cricketer.

NEWS 18

Among their impressions of MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, are these observations: “How perfectly the makers have captured the life of a middle class family... Kudos to NeerajPandey for keeping everything so genuine and rooted. The bigger story is of the people who supported Dhoni to become what he is.” Sushant Singh Rajput’s performance is termed “unbeatable”.