Before Saina, Bollywood sports biopics of last decade ranked: From Paan Singh Tomar, Dangal to Azhar
Hindi cinema’s love for sports activities’ biopics is comparatively new. It was maybe the success of Shah Rukh Khan starrer Chak De India that made the filmmakers conscious that viewers will embrace the style. Within the brief time frame that Hindi cinema has been churning out sports activities movies primarily based on actual life, we’ve not seen many that may handle to create the nail-biting suspense and but cowl all side of its topic’s life. Most of the time, these are hagiographies that are likely to gloss over the scandals, controversies and tough patches of a sportsperson’s profession, serving us solely a sanitised model of the particular person’s life. Nonetheless, there have been a number of which have created benchmarks for the biopic style in Hindi cinema.
With Parineeti Chopra starrer Saina, the biopic on badminton participant Saina Nehwal, releasing on March 26, right here’s wanting again at a decade of sports activities biopics in Bollywood.
Listed here are the sports activities biopics from the final decade ranked from the not-so-good to one of the best:
9. Azhar (2016)
Ever for the reason that trailer of Azhar dropped, it was arduous for the viewer to get satisfied of the plot of this movie, which principally negated the match-fixing scandal. Within the movie too, we’re informed that Azhar accepted the bribe so he may maintain the bookie away from the remainder of the staff. That one plot level single-handedly pulled down an already mediocre movie. We all know that biopics in Bollywood are laced with fictional parts however at the very least give us one thing that appears just a bit plausible. The incidents that impressed this movie occurred simply a few a long time in the past so it was arduous for the viewers to simply accept this outlandish story. The movie’s promotions noticed Emraan Hashmi and Mohammad Azharuddin selling the movie collectively so it was no shock when the movie was principally a automobile for hero-worship.
8. Saand Ki Aankh (2019)
Saand Ki Aankh was the story of two feminine sharpshooters from Haryana, Chandro and Prakashi Tomar. The movie’s trailer drew an enormous controversy as many believed that age-appropriate casting, as an alternative of the much-younger Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar, would have labored higher for the movie. Upon watching the movie, many have been nonetheless of the opinion that the prosthetic make-up was not on top of things and induced hindrance in making this world plausible. Components of the movie the place Bhumi and Taapsee’s character take part in competitions have been nicely executed.
7. Soorma (2018)
The story of hockey participant Sandeep Singh has the power to depart anybody open-mouthed. So with Soorma, the makers absolutely had a narrative that was made for the silver display screen. Diljit Dosanjh’s appearing was fairly spectacular and he was ably supported by Angad Bedi. The movie began off robust and had us rooting for the protagonist for essentially the most half. However the curse of the second half hit Soorma because it slipped into melodrama. That is the place it began to disintegrate and lose the viewers’s consideration however except for that, Soorma was one of many higher biopics that we’ve seen in the previous couple of years.
6. MS Dhoni The Untold Story (2016)
Directed by Neeraj Pandey, this biopic is what one would name an prolonged commercial for cricketer MS Dhoni’s life. It’s unusual to have a biopic made on an individual who continues to be actively enjoying cricket however it’s stranger to utterly omit all of the controversies of his life from his biography altogether. The movie was excessively prolonged and didn’t actually supply us something we didn’t already know in regards to the celebrated cricketer. Its huge win was the efficiency of Sushant Singh Rajput who made for a plausible Dhoni and impressed the viewers along with his stellar act. It was SSR’s act that made the movie memorable, right down to acing that helicopter shot.
5. Mary Kom (2014)
This biopic on boxer Mary Kom landed in scorching water quickly after visuals of PC enjoying the lead position have been launched. Many believed that an actor of Manipuri descent ought to have been forged within the position and never somebody who didn’t appear like the protagonist in any respect. Regardless of the controversy, the movie managed to get many viewers in its nook because the story was not recognized by the lots. Priyanka gave a heartfelt efficiency right here and was ably supported by Darshan Kumar. The movie got here alive within the parts that had the protagonist efficiently elevating her youngsters while additionally attempting to handle her profession.
4. Budhia Singh Born to Run (2016)
Budhia Singh’s story left us amazed and made us imagine that fact is actually stranger than fiction. This Manoj Bajpayee led movie had him enjoying Budhia’s coach Biranchi and Mayur Patole enjoying the marathon runner. The movie had its coronary heart in the proper place, despite the fact that it was fairly inconsistent in lots of locations. A number of topics just like the dope check, exploitation of a kid, are launched however are by no means handled. Regardless of its many ups and downs, the movie gained the Nationwide Movie Award for Finest Kids’s Movie.
3. Dangal (2016)
Some of the well-liked sports activities biopics of all time, Dangal adopted the story of Phogat sisters and the way they clinched victory after a tricky battle. Starring Aamir Khan, Fatima Sana Shaikh, Zaira Wasim and Sanya Malhotra in lead roles, Dangal did an awesome job at explaining the game of wrestling to its viewers and supplied an attractive narrative of the father-daughters story nevertheless it was the final act of the movie that failed to carry up. The introduction of a last-minute villain in Girish Kulkarni felt like an afterthought. By that point within the story, the emotional battle of the movie had already been resolved and the movie was looking for a determine it may demonise to additional amplify the unity between the Phogats. The cinematic liberties taken right here additionally diminished the impact of Geeta’s win as not like the movie, her victory was by a a lot greater margin.
2. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013)
It’s famously recognized that Milkha Singh gave away the rights of his story to the makers for under Re 1. Starring Farhan Akhtar within the lead position, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is a standard sports activities biopic that follows the beats of hottest biopics and that’s in all probability why it has a sure classical enchantment. The Partition, the trauma and the battle confronted by Milkha Singh make for an inspiring story and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag perceive that proper from the beginning. The movie doesn’t brush over his losses and neither does it deify the Flying Sikh, which is its greatest energy.
1. Paan Singh Tomar (2012)
The highest spot on this listing belongs to Irrfan Khan starrer Paan Singh Tomar, which, in my view, will not be solely one of the best sports activities biopic however one of the best biographical movie ever made in Hindi cinema. Directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia, Paan Singh Tomar is the story of a steeplechase athlete who takes up the lifetime of a dacoit after a household dispute. Paan Singh Tomar wasn’t a few conventional ‘hero’ however the story supplied an fascinating grey-shaded character as a protagonist which made his journey really feel actual. Irrfan carried the movie on his shoulders underneath Dhulia’s course and revisiting this movie, until date, is simply as rewarding.
