Panga 2020

Jaya Nigam, played by Kangana Ranaut, is a former Kabaddi world champion who currently works as an officer at the local railway station, manning ticket counters. She shares her life in Bhopal with her husband, Prashant Shrivastava, portrayed by Jassi Gill, a chief engineer at the railways, and their son, Aditya, affectionately known as Aadi, played by Yagya Bhasin. While Jaya finds solace in her family life post-Prashant’s transfer, a part of her deeply longs for her past days as a national-level athlete.

Life takes a turn when her son Aadi frequently falls ill, necessitating Jaya’s visits to the doctor, which result in her tardiness at work. Her manager at the station reminds her that as an ordinary railways employee, she must adhere to protocol and formally request time off. Reflecting on her glorious past, Jaya recalls that during her peak as a Kabaddi star, she could miss nearly 300 days of work without consequence, a stark contrast to her present routine.

The spark to reignite her passion for Kabaddi is re-ignited by the return of her former teammate, Richa Chadda, now the coach and talent scout for the Bhopal Kabaddi team. Meenu, as her teammate is called, hopes to see a player of Jaya’s caliber make a triumphant return to the national team. Aadi, feeling neglected because Jaya missed attending his race on Sports Day, urges her to revisit her past glories.

Jaya shares memories of her and Prashant’s love story, recounting how they met while she was training and how her career took a backseat when Aadi was born premature, requiring constant attention due to health issues. Eager to inspire her mother, Aadi researches famous comebacks, including that of Serena Williams, and suggests that Prashant could have helped more to support her career while taking care of Aadi.

With the encouragement of Aadi and the rekindled opportunity presented by Meenu, Jaya decides to make an ambitious return to the sport, notwithstanding the hurdles involving her fitness and adapting to younger, more skilled players. Prashant stands by her side, agreeing to support her training for a month to see if she can compete. Meenu’s advice leads Jaya to aim for joining a railways team, viewed as a swift pathway back to national selection.

After a rigorous training regimen and proving her mettle, Jaya secures a trial with the Eastern railways in Mumbai. However, a dilemma arises when the coach demands she relocate to Calcutta, a proposition she is reluctant to accept due to her commitment to Aadi. Rejecting the coach’s conditions, she opts instead to train in Bhopal, which leads to tensions escalating when Meenu chastises Jaya for not seizing the chance.

Ultimately, Jaya moves to Calcutta and realizes the necessity of additional coaching to refine her skills. Encouraged by her supportive roommate and teammate, Megha Burman, Jaya fine-tunes her techniques, embracing her strength over sheer speed. She successfully makes the national railway team, but the endeavor strains her familial relationships as Prashant grapples with managing Aadi alone.

The national coach, Rajesh Tailang, is in search of railway talent for the forthcoming Asian Kabaddi championship, where Jaya’s early performance raises doubts, yet her story resonates with the media, garnering interest and attention. As team dynamics become increasingly fraught, particularly with hostility from team captain Smita, Jaya finds herself sidelined during early matches.

With India advancing to the finals against Iran, Smita ultimately decides to trust Jaya’s experience. In a nail-biting match, Jaya steps up, making a crucial raid that captures the victory for India, reclaiming not just her place in the sport but also her identity as a remarkable athlete.