International cricket is back on the horizon from last week. And that has naturally kindled the interest of sports fans. They are looking for more such live action, But for those passionate followers in India, live sports action has to wait for some more time. Or so it seems.
In the event, they have to make to do with other forms of entertainment. Of course, in India when you talk of entertainment cricket and movies occupy the top slot.
So this week, in our weekend movie column, we have chosen to combine both. We are featuring five movies in which cricket was the backdrop or even the main point of the story.
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To drive home the point that cricket is totally seeped in Indian ethos, we have chosen cricket-based movies from five different Indian languages (Hindi, Malayalam, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada) that you can watch over the various OTT platforms, which continue to be the flavour as cinema halls and multiplexes continue to be shut across India.
Here are our picks that should doubtless bowl you over.
1983 (Malayalam)
Actors: Nivin Pauly, Anoop Menon, Nikki Galrani, Srinda Arhaan
Director: Abrid Shine
Synopsis: The year 1983 is iconic in the annals of Indian cricket as it was when India had its first-ever World Cup triumph. The film is about a man, whose cricketing ambitions are nixed due to his life events and family situation. He eventually gets to fulfil his dream vicariously through his son who emerges through the ranks of junior cricket. The film has both emotional heft and sporting heave to work on all kinds of audience. The movie won a clutch of Kerala State awards when it released in 2014. A cricket movie doing well in Kerala showed how much the game has seeped into the State that otherwise has a rich history in football, athletics and volleyball.
Platform: MXPlayer
Lagaan (Hindi)
Actors: Aamir Khan, Gracy Singh, Rachel Shelley, Paul Blackthorne
Director: Ashutosh Gowariker
Synopsis: Verily, a landmark movie in the annals of Indian cinema, as it got nominated for the Oscars under the Best Foreign Film Category. Set in the 1890s of India under the British yolk, it tells the story of a bunch of indomitable village folks who manage to get the better of the Englishmen and get exempted from paying high taxes. All thanks to a victory in an edge-of-the-seat thriller of a cricket match. It is a typical triumph of the underdog story. The songs in this film, set to tune by Oscar award winner AR Rahman, still reverberate across India despite the fact that its is 19 years since the film was released.
Platform: Netflix
Sachin Tendulkar Alla (Kannada)
Actors: Master Snehith, Suhasini Maniratnam, Sudharani, Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad
Director: Mohan Shankar
Synopsis: The title features the name of arguably India's best batsman Sachin Tendulkar, but it is not a sports film in its true sense. It is about struggles of an autistic youngster who wants to make it big in cricket. The film, in a large overview, has shades of the Hindi movie Iqbal, which chronicled the travails of a mute man who is an aspiring fast bowler. Sachin Tendulkar Alla also has walk in roles for Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad, both playing their real-life selves in the film. The film released in 2014.
Platform: YouTube
Jersey (Telugu)
Actors: Nani, Shraddha Srinath
Director: Gowtam Tinnanuri
Synopsis: It is a poignant tale that combines Ranji Trophy cricket and some gritty family sentimental drama. It is about a man living in America, making a comeback in Ranji Trophy cricket in Hyderabad to fulfil a wish of his son. But why had he given up on playing cricket? Well, there is a tragic twist in the end. But the film ticks all the boxes for this genre and was one of the biggest hits in Telugu in 2019. The film also brings alive the ethos of regional cricket splendidly.
Platform: Zee5
Chennai 600028 (Tamil)
Actors: Jai, Shiva, Premji, Nithin Sathya, Aravind Akash, Vijay Vasanth, Vijayalakshmi
Director: Venkat Prabhu
Synopsis: It has become a cult classic in Tamil film industry. It is about tennis ball street cricket that Chennai is famous for. The film is a mad caper story of a bunch of no-hopers remaining, well, no-hopers but still winning a most memorable grudge match. It is an underdog tale with a genius twist in the ending. The film's main leads are a big gang of friends off screen and their camaraderie on screen was so palpably enjoyable. This 2007 year film had a middling success in its sequel, too. but 600028, which is a pincode of Chennai neighbourhood, remains a milestone in Tamil cinema, as to how amateur spirit can triumph both in films as well as cricket.
Platform: Sun NXT
There are plenty other sports-based movies like Chak De! India, Baag Milkha Baag, Mary Kom, Irudhi Sutru, Sultan, Dangal, Patiala House, Mukkabaaz, Paan Singh Tomar, Budhia Singh: Born To Run, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story. Of course, there are a few more such films from other languages in India that can keep you engaged. We will bring you more from this selection soon.
Meanwhile, Happy weekend viewing!
