Cricket, the most popular sport in the country seems to have taken a backseat in films. There are other games that are making their presence felt on the big screen lately.
Single-minded passion
Mithun Chakraborty's Boxer was a huge hit and the game comes back into focus in Anil Sharma's Apne, which has Deol brothers Sunny and Bobby and their father Dharmendra.
That Abhishek Kapoor's Aryan, which toplined Sohail Khan as a boxer, did not quite work, has not been a deterrent. Sharma says his film is all about courage and "that's why I thought of boxing".
Says Anand, "I needed a sport that had aggression and created fear in the minds of people and what better than motor racing?" Having the hero as a sportsperson rather than a team player also makes it easier for the filmmaker to focus on him. Team sports work at times, not necessarily cricket.
Team games
Filmmakers have a simple explanation for the focus on other sports.. nothing to do with the Indian side's dismal performance at the World Cup. Most filmmakers use sport to convey the message of sportsmanship, winning, losing and the rise of the underdog.
Cricket has worked in the past. Ashutosh Gowarikar's Lagaan for instance demonstrated team spirit. And Nagesh Kukunoor's Iqbal showed how disability could be overcome.
However, not all cricket movies have been successful on screen. The list of flops includes Awaal Number, All Rounder and more recently Say Salaam India and Hattrick.
Abhishek Kapoor puts it succinctly, "Cricket is a long-drawn process. It's not a sport but a game. The dynamics are different."
Cricket has worked in the past. Ashutosh Gowarikar's Lagaan for instance demonstrated team spirit. And Nagesh Kukunoor's Iqbal showed how disability could be overcome.
However, not all cricket movies have been successful on screen. The list of flops includes Awaal Number, All Rounder and more recently Say Salaam India and Hattrick.
Abhishek Kapoor puts it succinctly, "Cricket is a long-drawn process. It's not a sport but a game. The dynamics are different."
Other team games include football and hockey both of which are in focus. Shimit Amin's Chak De India has Shah Rukh Khan playing a hockey coach. Vivek Agnihotri's Goal, toplining John Abraham and Arshad Warsi is on soccer.
Overseas box-office
Directors looking to market their films outside the country certainly have reason to choose other sports. The craze for cricket is still confined to a few countries only .
Which is probably why Karan Johar had Shah Rukh Khan playing soccer in New York in Kabhi Alvida Na Kehna and Siddharth Anand had Saif Ali Khan whizzing around the tracks in the same city in Ta Ra Rum Pum.
In the age of simultaneous worldwide releases, it goes without saying that universal subjects and sports will be given more importance. It shouldn't surprise anyone that life and films exist beyond cricket.
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