Sanjay Dutt
Nasser Khan
Overview
At an Afghanistan refugee camp, an ex-army doctor seeks to bring children joy through cricket and soon realizes that the stakes go beyond the sport.
Cast
Reviews
4 min readThe Ball That Never Leaves the Ground
I keep thinking about the sound of a cricket ball hitting a bat in an Afghan refugee camp. Not the crisp thwack of leather on willow you hear in Lord’s or Mumbai, but something duller, heavier—a sound that carries the weight of dust and desperation. Torbaaz, Girish Malik’s 2020 drama, is built around that sound, and around the idea that a game might be the only thing left to believe in when the world has already taken everything else.
The film follows Sanjay Dutt’s character, a former army doctor who loses his family in a Kabul bombing and finds himself running a medical clinic in a refugee camp. There, he stumbles into coaching a ragtag group of kids in cricket, a sport most of them have never played. The premise is familiar—Lagaan meets The Kite Runner, with a dash of Invictus—but Torbaaz isn’t interested in reinventing the wheel.
What it does do is linger in the spaces between the familiar beats, in the quiet moments where the camera holds on a child’s face just a second too long, or in the way the dust kicks up around the makeshift pitch like a living thing.
Malik’s direction is unshowy, almost to a fault. There are no sweeping crane shots or flashy edits here. Instead, the film relies on the raw physicality of its setting—the way the light slants across the camp at dusk, the way the kids’ clothes hang off their frames like they’ve been borrowed from someone twice their size.
The cinematography doesn’t glamourize poverty, but it doesn’t exploit it either. It just is. And in that stillness, the film finds its power.
Audience Opinions
Broad evidence
Audience 6.2/10
"A well-intentioned but uneven drama with strong performances, hampered by a predictable plot and pacing issues."
Sanjay Dutt’s performance and the film’s emotional core resonate with viewers, offering a poignant look at child trafficking and redemption. latestnetflix.com's take is that however, the execution feels formulaic, with slow pacing and underdeveloped side characters diluting the impact of its serious themes.
What viewers praise
- Sanjay Dutt’s performance Dutt delivers a compelling and heartfelt portrayal, anchoring the film’s emotional weight.
- Emotional depth The film’s exploration of child trafficking and hope strikes a chord with audiences.
- Strong themes The subject matter is handled with sincerity, raising awareness about a critical social issue.
Common complaints
- Predictable plot The story follows a familiar trajectory, lacking surprises or fresh twists.
- Pacing issues The film drags in parts, making it feel longer than necessary.
- Underdeveloped side characters Supporting roles, including Nargis Fakhri’s, feel shallow and underutilized.
- Weak screenplay Dialogue and narrative structure often feel clichéd or forced.
Recommended for
Social drama enthusiasts Sanjay Dutt fans Issue-based film viewers Emotional storytelling lovers
Buzz & Rumors
Public reportsThe Tragic Backstory Behind Torbaaz: How Personal Loss Shadowed Sanjay Dutt’s Netflix Film
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Av7nCCHo2rU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii2fYSlFsj0
Torbaaz (2020), the Netflix action-drama directed by Girish Malik, arrived with a cast of heavyweights—Sanjay Dutt, Nargis Fakhri, and Rahul Dev—but its release was overshadowed by a devastating real-life tragedy. While the film itself is a fictional tale of redemption set against the backdrop of child trafficking in Afghanistan, its production was marred by an unimaginable personal loss for Malik. latestnetflix.com's view is that the director’s son, Mannan, died by suicide in 2020, just as Torbaaz was preparing for its debut .
A Director’s Heartbreak
Girish Malik, known for his 2014 film Jal, was already navigating the pressures of delivering a high-stakes project with Torbaaz. The movie, which blends action, drama, and thriller elements, follows Dutt’s character as he takes on a mission to save children from a warlord’s clutches 
. But behind the scenes, Malik was grappling with a far darker battle. In June 2020, his 18-year-old son, Mannan, was found dead in their Mumbai home. Police confirmed the death as suicide, though details about the circumstances remain scarce .
The timing was brutal. Torbaaz had wrapped filming, and Malik was likely in the final stages of post-production or promotion when the tragedy struck. While there’s no public record of how the loss affected the film’s release, the emotional weight of the moment was undeniable. Malik, who had poured years into the project, was suddenly forced to confront grief in the public eye—a stark contrast to the fictional heroism on screen.
The Film’s Mixed Reception
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=stbAOQiNMdk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ebxsJEXkcQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eEHgrnXoIzI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emZkixho6rU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQc5bv90ik4
Despite the off-screen turmoil, Torbaaz premiered on Netflix in December 2020, positioning itself as a gritty, socially conscious action film. The trailer promised high-octane sequences and a story rooted in real-world issues, with Dutt playing a former army officer turned savior . Reviews, however, were lukewarm. Critics praised the film’s ambition and Dutt’s performance but criticized its pacing and execution. Some called it a missed opportunity, given its heavy subject matter .
- Action and Drama: The film’s blend of genres—action, drama, thriller, and even sports—was noted as both a strength and a weakness. While the premise was compelling, the 133-minute runtime struggled to maintain tension .
- Sanjay Dutt’s Role: Dutt, a Bollywood veteran, was the film’s biggest draw. His portrayal of a hardened yet compassionate protagonist was a highlight, though some felt the script didn’t fully capitalize on his star power .
- Nargis Fakhri’s Presence: Fakhri, playing a journalist, added a layer of intrigue, but her role was overshadowed by the film’s broader narrative .
A Project Overshadowed
Torbaaz was always meant to be more than just another action flick. Malik’s vision—a story about child trafficking in conflict zones—was timely and urgent. Yet, the film’s legacy is now inextricably linked to the personal tragedy that unfolded during its final stretch. While Malik has remained largely out of the public eye since his son’s death, Torbaaz stands as a bittersweet testament to his work, a project completed against impossible odds.
For audiences, the film is a reminder of how art and life often collide in unexpected ways. For Malik, it’s a painful chapter in a career that will forever be defined by loss.
Entertainment rumors and trivia aggregated from public reporting. Treat speculation as unverified unless a cited source confirms it.
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