With the Indian Premier League (IPL) just around the corner, India is breathing sports at the moment. But apart from reality, sports have often captured our imagination in films too. One of the reasons why people love watching films is for the experience of feeling the impossible made deceptively possible. Which is perhaps why movies on dreams coming true and achievements tend to do better with the audience.
Movies on sports are a high selling genre, where characters defy all odds and overcome struggles to make a profound representation of human spirit and achievement. While some of them have really clicked with the audience, a good portion of them didn’t. What makes it so difficult is that the rhythms and finer nuances of sports is hard to capture on camera without seeming contrived. We cherry pick a few that you can catch before you get absorbed in the cricket fever.
Iqbal
Nagesh Kukunoors’ Iqbal, narrated an inspiring tale about a deaf and mute son of a farmer, who has a passion for the game of cricket and seeks tutelage under a washed-up, alcoholic ex-cricketer. The film showcases how a physically disabled child manages to make his way into the Indian team despite facing several obstacles along the way, none greater than the politics that is involved in team selection, which heavily influence how the game is played. A truly inspirational watch
Chak De! India
India is a very diverse country sports wise. Over the years, movies had been made on cricket, football, boxing, running and car racing, but field hockey is our national sport and Bollywood has given its best film in this genre on this sport.
Directed by Shimit Amin, Chak De! India told the story of a hockey player, who after being branded as a traitor for losing against Pakistan, seeks to redeem himself as the coach of the Indian Women’s Hockey team. This inspirational film touched upon various pertinent issues like politics in sport and the discrimination against women
Coach Carter
A 2005 American sports drama film directed by Thomas Carter, Coach Carter is based on Ken Carter who coached the Richmond High School basketball team. Controversy surrounded Carter in 1999 for benching his undefeated high school basketball team due to poor academic results. Actor Samuel L Jackson portrayed the powerful role of Carter, completely overshadowing his supporting cast
Remember the Titans
Directed by Boaz Yakin and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Remember the Titans is an American sports movie that was released in 2000 and was inspired from a screenplay written by Gregory Allen Howard. It told the true story of a newly appointed African-American coach and his high school team on their first season as a racially integrated unit. Starring Denzel Washington in the lead, the movie explored significant social issues such as racism among athletes
Million Dollar Baby
This 2004 drama revolved around the story of an underrated boxing trainer, his life, and his pledge to help an amateur boxer achieve her dream of becoming a professional boxer. Directed by Clint Eastwood, the movie won a total of four Academy Awards in 2004, including Best Director, Picture and Actress . It was originally published under the title Rope Burns and was based on short stories written by Jerry Boyd. Besides starring Clint Eastwood as the coach, the film featured Morgan Freeman and Hilary Swank