What makes a good sports film?

Check out the top 5 ways to get a sports film right.

Updated on: Jul 13, 2013, 16:54:10 IST

None | By Aasheesh Sharma

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What makes a good sports film?

1 Underdogs: Such as World War II prisoners escaping the Nazis in the football classic Escape to Victory (1981), or villagers taking on the British in Lagaan (2002).

2 Classic lines: Think “Show me the money!” from Jerry Maguire (1996) and “Yeh sattar minute tum se koi nahin cheen sakta” from Chak De! India (2007).

3 Dishy heroes: Who can forget SRK’s sexy stubble in Chak De!, Farhan Akhtar’s sinewy legs in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013) or Sly Stallone’s rippling muscles in Rocky (1976)

4 Convincing story: The plot needs to be at least believable. That’s why a film like Lagaan works wonders and Awwal Number (1990) – where Dev Anand was the police commissioner AND chairman of the cricket board – doesn’t!

5 Ecstasy after the agony: You can’t go wrong with a climax where the protagonist punches, sprints or kicks himself out of misery. The Wrestler (2008), Bend It Like Beckham, Million Dollar Baby and Escape to Victory, to name a few.

From HT Brunch, July 14
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aasheesh Sharma
Aasheesh Sharma works with the opinion team at Hindustan Times. Over the last 20 years, he has worked with a wire service, newspapers, magazines and television. His story on the longest train journey in India was included in an anthology on train writings in 2014.Read More

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