The real-life story of the Shooter Dadis—Chandro and Prakashi Tomar, from Johri village, Uttar Pradesh, who learnt to be sharp-shooters in their mid-60s and have won over 30 national championships, now well into their 80s— is pure gold. You’d have to be a chump to muff a film inspired by them, but Saand ki Aankh (SKA, Bull’s Eye), manages this feat. SKA, starring Bhumi Pednekar and Taapsee Pannu, is the debut feature of Tushar Hiranandani (writer, Grand Masti, Housefull 2 etc). A feminist film for a Diwali release, like they have a Salman Bhai film for Eid release? That’s pretty cool for 2019.

SKA is an important, feminist Bollywood film, but it has many disappointing conflicts at heart. The central irony of two women who have wielded guns for 20 years, but whose life continues mostly in ghunghat sat home, mercilessly bullied by the male patriarchs, is scarcely explored at all. It’s mainly broad brush-strokes and lacks the conviction of, say, Dangal, which was also based on the real-life female wrestler Phogat sisters in regressive Jat-land, but crackled with the changing family power equation.