M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story

You go inside the theater as a Dhoni fan but you come out as Sushant's fan. He has really worked hard for this film, you can see it in the movie. At times you forget that you are watching Sushant and not actually Dhoni. He portrays everything so well including that helicopter shot!!

It is said that leaders are not created rather they are born and such is the case with M.S.Dhoni. This real life based movie truly does justice to the hard work and commitment of Indian Cricket Captain and World Cup Winner M.S Dhoni. Neeraj Pandey has done a fabulous job to put up all the pieces in the desired sequence to create this masterpiece. Sushant Singh Rajput yet again impresses with his on screen performance and persona as everything about him is just perfect from head to toe in the movie. All the features starting from story, dialogues, cinematography, acting, music till direction is well knitted to form an impressive flick. However, the highlight remains Sushant Singh Rajput with his all the talent, skill and perfection doing full justice to the living legend of Indian cricket. It is quite visible that he has done a good research on Dhoni including his hair style, shyness, walking and famous "Helicopter Shot". The film outlines the struggle of M.S Dhoni from a railway ticket collector to the Captain of a World Champion team. It also highlights the issues pertaining to the changes made by him for transforming Indian Cricket team to a World Class Unit. The trend of making movies on real life events is gaining a lot of momentum in Bollywood and this one is the fresh addition to the list and probably the top of the line effort. M.S. Dhoni is already a star, living legend and a role model for cricketers all over the world and this film will surely add to his existing honor and prestige. A must watch film for those who believe in hard work, common man, fair play and M.S Dhoni!!!!

M.S. Dhoni had a burden of expectations on it - not just because it is based on India's most beloved captain but also it had Neeraj Pandey as Director. The movie is well made but runs into too much of unnecessary stuff, especially in the second half. It is pretty much left on its own in the later part. Sushant Singh Rajput is bloody impressive with his uncanny resemblance to MSD, not just in terms of looks but also the expressions.

Story (7/10): The movie focused really well on the life of MSD before he became a household name. It focused a lot on the challenges, small town boys had been facing to get an entry into Indian cricket team about 10 years back when metro boys, especially Delhi and Mumbai, had a great influence on the team composition. What I also loved was the portrayal of Dhoni's work ethic - be it the scene of Yuvraj Singh or the booze. The first half of the story shows the tremendous amount of research done on the build up of MSD and the people involved in getting him into the Indian cricket team. Unfortunately, the story is left orphaned once it crosses that chapter. Too much focus on his love life was not just unnecessary but also slowed down the movie tremendously. I would have loved to see some focus on what exactly made him CAPTAIN COOL and at least some bits of behind the scenes portrayal of what happened in the dressing room in the 2011 WC Final. But the story just skips through that, which is a big let down.

Acting (10/10): Sushant Singh Rajput did a great job. He had a challenging role and his hard work showed in the way he projected MSD, in terms of looks as well as expressions. This would definitely go in as one of his best performances, arguably better than Byomkesh Bakshi. What I loved was the effort and the screen presence by the supporting cast - especially MSD's friend circle and also his school coach, played by Rajesh Sharma. The last time I saw such a level of presence by supporting cast was, perhaps, in Tanu Weds Manu series.

Direction (6/10): This was definitely below par performance of Neeraj Pandey, considering his reputation. While a lot of research and meticulousness went into the first half of the movie, it was equally misdirected and vague in the second half. The story pretty much ended at the point when MSD makes it into the Indian cricket team. I felt Neeraj Pandey tends to play safe and is compelled to add romance element irrespective of the movie genre, just like he did in Baby and Special 26 where, again, it wasn't required at all. And this is what takes down this movie. While three hours is pretty much expected in biopic movies, he didn't utilize it to the best.

Overall (7/10): It lives up to its tagline - The Untold Story - with some great research on the life of MSD in his early years but the movie just becomes directionless in the second half. But still, a good movie to watch, at least half of it.

"Absolutely magnificent, Dhoni,finishes off in-style, A magnificent stroke into the crowd! India lift the world cup, After 28 years , The party started in the dressing room. and, Its an Indian captain who's been absolutely magnificent in the night of the final." Pretty much one of the best moments of the movie. Massive goosebumps. Ms Dhoni The Untold Story - Is a fantastically made movie which is like two sides of the same coin. The first half which shows why Neeraj Pandey is one of the best directors in the country. While the second half shows why Neeraj Pandey should never make a love story. The movie's main strength is clearly Sushant Singh Rajput who shines in every scene. He has captured the essence of the calm and composed Dhoni and portrayed it brilliantly. The first of the movie is stunning, brilliantly acted, poor special effects with some great dialogues and excellent direction by Neeraj Pandey. The cricketing aspect of Dhoni is so well done. It shows that there is always a team behind a person who is successful. An ode to friendship, struggles, responsibility, compromise and facing life regardless of the unexpected turns and twists. I was in awe how well connected the movie was. Moving from one point to another so effortlessly. Neeraj Pandey's best hour in cinema. The second half starts of well but the two love stories really bring down the movie. The Actresses are likable and all. WTF Neeraj Pandey but the movie moved at a steady pace nevertheless. It was like living the past. The famous India-Pakistan series where Dhoni shines. A lot of moments. It was like a Pleasant flashback. The performances in the movie are brilliant. Sushant Singh Rajput as Dhoni. What a performance! Not his best, I feel Kai Po Che was better. He was seamless, cool, composed, confident. Just like MSD. He breaks down in one scene. Which was brilliant. The Supporting Star Cast is brilliant.Every Actor in the supporting role. FANTASTIC!!! They are a lot of them. Everyone was brilliant. The actresses were strictly average. The music was decent. The movie is a solid 8-8.5/10. The love angles and the bad special effects in the first half are the only things which could have been improved. You'll love it if you loved cricket. You'll like it if you love good cinema.

Sushant's acting is uncomparable. His dedication and hard work pays off on the screen.