Page 34 - Seniors Today Magazine April 2024
P. 34
Films
Maidaan & Sports Films
Image courtesy: Sportsmatik
India’s medal tally at international tournaments is rising and filmmakers
have more material for biopics being served to them on a platter, writes
Deepa Gahlot
India has never been much of a sporting on a true event, but Chak De! India was
nation, leaving aside the craze for cricket; a fictionalized version of the Indian
maybe hockey in football in some regions. women’s hockey team’s win at the 2002
For decades, names of sports achievers Commonwealth Games, under the guidance
were forgotten, though Milkha Singh, PT of coach Mir Ranjan Negi. The Shimit
Usha and the Amritraj Brothers were on Amin film used the classic underdog to
top of the mind recall if the subject of sports hero format, but also set the template for
came up. other sports films to follow. There was
Then, in recent years, Indian the team building of disparate plays from
sportspersons started winning medals, different parts of the country, that famously
and also, a wave of nationalism swept inspiring Sattar minute hain tumhare
India—the formula was being mixed for paas speech, and the strong criticism of
sports biopics, and there was a spate of communalism built in by casting Shah
them – from the early mover Paan Singh Rukh Khan as a Muslim coach, who has to
Tomar to Dangal, Bhaag Milkha, Mary wash the unfair ‘traitor’ taint and prove his
Kom, Sania, Azhar, MS Dhoni, Shabaash patriotism—speaking for every alienated
Mithu. Still it was difficult, not to mention Muslim in the country. The real win did
expensive, to shoot team sports. nothing for women’s sports in the country,
Then Ashutosh Gowarikar neither did the film.
made Lagaan (2001) and showed that it But that World Cup victory in 1983, which
could be done, though it needed the star was made into a rousing film by Kabir Khan
power of Aamir Khan. It was not based simply titled 83, did turn up the intensity
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