In today’s time, sports are considered as a binding factor for a nation as diverse as us. To take up a single issue or focus on a subject relevant or touching for one, may not confirm box office success for that film. But of late, Bollywood has realized the potential of including sports in the storyline of a script. In the coming months, there are a number of films with the ‘sports’ element, lined up for their litmus test at the ticket window this year.
In the recent past, sports especially cricket has been used to cash in on the cricket mania countrywide. One of the finest examples is the Oscar-nominated Lagaan. Ashutosh Gowarikar’s highly successful take on the British-ruled India had Aamir using cricket to get tax exemption for an entire village. The film got both critical acclaim and box office success for its novel storyline. Another film that reminds us of the sporty Aamir Khan is his successful ’92 home production “Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar”. The film was based on high school drama revolving around a prestigious cycle race competition.
So, the question is why only cricket, why not any other sport? In another recent film by the talented film-maker Nagesh Kukunoor, cricket was the central theme of yet another critically acclaimed film. ‘Iqbal’ was based on the story of a boy who is hearing impaired and has a speech disorder and struggling to make it into the national cricket team. For a cricket crazy country like us, other sports have always been side-lined. The latest cricket-inspired film to hit the theatres will be Rimi Sen and Kunal Kapoor starrer “Hattrick”. The film is based on the tensions created by cricket in the married life of a couple where the wife is striking in love with Indian cricketer M S Dhoni. Weird!