Kolkata: Dangal is not the only one: The sporting connection in Bollywood is strong enough. Basically a film on sports, but Aamir Khan’s Dangal turns out to be a 2-hour- 30 minutes drama that is based on a true story, inspired by real life heroes.
This father-daughter relationship plays out against a professional wrestling backdrop. The plot rises up on a mandatory storyline where the individual or a team goes against all odds to paint colours of victory.
And like every sport film, Dangal has the predictable cliffhangers until the audience is excited for the conclusion. The three-minute trailer apprised the audiences of the fact that the film revolved around the professional wrestler Mahavir Phogat, who regretted not being able to win a gold medal for his country, and dreamt of fulfilling his wish through his son.
Unfortunately, he has four daughters, and hence gives up his obsession to win honours for his country until he realises that not only a boy, but also a girl can win a medal. A champion is a champion irrespective of what caste, creed, gender, he or she belongs to.
Phogat trains his daughters and makes them wrestlers, who finally win the coveted gold medal for the country. Dangal, adds to the illustrious league of Indian films where directors have tried to motivate the masses to rise up against all odds and shine in their own passion for life. Think of Shah Rukh Khan’s Chak De! India, Priyanka Chopra’s Mary Kom, Salman Khan’s Sultan, Aamir’s very own Lagaan or the Shreyas Talpade’s Iqbal.
Out here we are talking about the lead actor. Here’s a dekko on some Bollywood flicks on sports that have made a difference.
Lagaan: Lagaan is a film guaranteed to leave you with a full heart and a big grin. The setting is the late 19th century in West India (currently Gujarat). It revolves around the excessive tax the poor farmers had to pay to the British.
After a series of altercations, the lead character, Bhuvan (Aamir), makes a deal with the evil British commander that the tax would be cancelled for three years if the villagers can beat the British officers in a cricket match. If the villagers lose, the tax is tripled.
However, the villagers know nothing about cricket and have to learn the game first before they can beat the British.
Iqbal: Iqbal is a simple tale of grit of an 18-year old and his family superbly told by fimmaker Nagesh Kukunoor. The sprinkles of humour, like naming Iqbal‘s buffaloes after cricketers and making them field, helps ease the intensity.
The story does not have any twist and turns and runs on predictably. It is to Kukunoor’s credit that he still holds the audience interest right down to the last ball. Actors bring the story to life with zealous honesty.
Chak De! India: In Chak De! India – coach Kabir Khan’s being a traitor to the nation, adding to the emotion drifts, the different equations that the girls share with one other in the team, Khan and Bindiya Naik’s clash of egos, Komal Chautala and Preeti Sabharwal’s vying against each other – all these add compelling elements to the routine story.
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag: Directed by Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra, the biopic on the Flying Sikh, Milkha Singh minted money at the box-office giving Farhan Akhtar an entry into the Rs 100-crore club. What a film, what a story!
Mary Kom: The biopic on Mary Kom with Priyanka Chopra essaying the character of the five-time boxing world champion and Olympic bronze medallist from India won critical acclaims.
Talk of the story, with the support of her husband Onler Kom played by Darshan Kumar, the boxer, who was once put down, made the best possible comeback and won two major medals. The episodic picturisation of Kom’s obstacles, including a father who is against her dream, a vengeful sports federation and an
ill-timed pregnancy, seems rather effortlessly done.
Sultan: Despite some of the typical Bollywood potboilers Salman has starred in, this might be the most authentic performance, he has done on screen in a decade, as Sultan must undergo a considerable arc from guileless lightweight to national champion to fallen hero — and, finally, a dark horse hoping for redemption. He infuses Sultan with an unmistakable sincerity that endears us to his various metamorphoses.
Meanwhile, the movie’s themes are surface-deep: Perseverance, forgiveness, hard work and humility lie at its heart and in its
message.
Apart from these films, we have had a number of Bollywood movies on sports like Awaal Number, Stumped, Say Salaam India, Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander, Chain Kulii ki Main Kulii, Jannat, Victory, Dil Bole Hadippa! Patiala House, Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal, Kai Po Che, Paan Singh Tomar and others.
Some worked, some didn’t. But the sporting zone has always been a favourite hunting ground for directors and producers of the Tinseltown. Even Satyajit Ray’s Shatranj Ke Khiladi had chess as its premise. Here’s hoping Dangal carries on with a trend that has been a hallmark in the Bollywood.