Expectations were high from Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari after Nil Battey Sannata and Bareilly Ki Barfi, and the director seems to have delivered it once again. Panga can be called Tiwari's hattrick as it has touched all the right chords. The film revolves around the liberation of a mother to chase her passion. It has been well received by the audience, barring the shallowness in certain scenes.
The film stars Kangana Ranaut (Jaya) in lead role and sees Prashant (Jassi Gill) as her partner. Richa Chadha (Meenu) plays Kangana Ranaut's kabbadi mate and the role of her son is played by Yagya Bhasin (Adi).
TOI went with 4 stars and wrote: The narrative is filled with potent yet subtle moments that translate the eternal tussle between domestic responsibilities and fulfilling one's dreams that many mothers go through. The dialogues are sparkling and injected with humour. Moving to the performances, Kangana Ranaut as Jaya is terrific and the tour de force of the film – at home she is the gentle, dutiful Jaya who is simmering with this latent desire to break out and catch up with her dreams. And when she is on the court Kangana thrills with an absolutely throbbing, pulsating performance.
Pinkvilla went with 3.5 stars out of 5: Panga could have been another critic pleasing film, but director Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari's direction is a fresh breeze that elevates the storytelling. There are stereotypes shown, but without stereotypical characters.
Spotboye went with 4 stars: The beauty of Panga is that it is extremely fast-paced. Add this to the writing of Ashwiny, Nitesh and Nikhil Mehrohtra (what a spine!) with the soulful soundtrack (music by Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy, lyrics by Javed Akhtar) seamlessly weaved into the narrative.
NDTV went with 3.5 stars out of 5: The intelligently scripted, deftly directed and well-acted sports drama is peopled by characters who are easy to relate to. Unlike average Bollywood films of the genre, Panga does not ever strain credulity even when one might feel that it could have done with a little more momentum.
Koimoi went with 3 stars out of 5: Pint-sized Yagya Bhasin delivers a monumental performance, subduing the drama, yet another relatable character nailed by Kangana.
