'Kai Po Che', 'Patiala House', 'Iqbal': When Bollywood films tackled cricket
The trailer of Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone-starrer '83 released today and was well-received by the audience. The internet is all praise for Ranveer who is playing the role of Kapil Dev in the film. As cricket and films hold a special place in every Indian’s heart, we decided to revisit the times when Bollywood tackled cricket for a nail-biting watch on the big screens...
'Kai Po Che'
Late Sushant Singh Rajput made his Bollywood debut with 'Kai Po Che'. Helmed by Abhishek Kapoor, the film revolved around three friends who ran a cricket academy. Rajkummar Rao and Amit Sadh also starred in key roles in the film.
Pic: Movie Still
'Iqbal'
Touted to be one of the finest cricket films of Bollywood, 'Iqbal' was essentially a motivational film. It is the story of a deaf-and-mute boy Iqbal, played by Shreyas Talpade, who is an aspiring cricketer and wants to be part of the national cricket team. However, due to his poor financial condition and an anti-cricketer father, he struggles to realise his dream. It is then with the help of his sister and an ex-cricketer, played by Naseeruddin Shah, that he gets to live his dream and play for Team India. The film even received the National Film Award for Best Film on Other Social Issues.
Pic: Movie Still
'Patiala House'
This film narrated the story of Gurtej Kahlon played by the late Rishi Kapoor, who lived with his family in London. His son Gattu, played by Akshay Kumar, is a talented cricketer who was selected for the England national team despite his father’s will. This film also featured several cricketers like Pollard, Brett Lee, and Symonds.
Pic: Movie Still
'Azhar'
'Azhar' is a biopic of former Indian cricket team skipper Mohammad Azharuddin. The film highlighted the match-fixing scandal that stormed the cricketing world in 1999, during which Azhar was banned by the judiciary. Emraan Hashmi played the titular role. However, the film also drew flak for its fictionalised interpretation of events.
Pic: Movie Still
'MS Dhoni: The Untold Story'
Helmed by Neeraj Pandey, 'MS Dhoni: The Untold Story' is a biographical film based on the life of former Indian Cricket Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The film starred Sushant Singh Rajput, Kiara Advani, and Disha Patani in pivotal roles. It showed the struggles faced by a small-town boy to become a member of Team India.
Pic: Movie Still
'Chain Khuli Ki Main Khuli'
This is one of the most popular cricket films that revolved around a 13-year-old boy Karan (Zain Khan). He played the role of a cricket enthusiast who is a fan of Kapil Dev’s 175 not out in the 1983 World Cup. Luckily he got the bat used by Kapil in that innings and it eventually transformed his fortune. He went on to become the youngest cricketer to play for the country. But things got uglier when his bat went missing just before the final match.
Pic: Movie Still