From 'Patiala House' to 'Zoya Factor', why Bollywood's attempt to make cricket films has not been successful

In the grand scheme of things, few are held closer to our hearts than cricket and cinema, and the two of India’s biggest glamour worlds frequently converge. As the race for the Cricket World Cup heats up in India, let us reflect on Bollywood's cricket-themed creations. But here is the shocker: despite the inspiring real-life cricketing victories and the remarkable journeys of individual players, Bollywood filmmakers have struggled to capture the magic of cricket stories on screen. Barring a few obvious exceptions like Lagaan, Iqbal, M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story or 83, it is quite disheartening to see that Bollywood’s attempts at ‘cricket films’ have mostly fallen flat. Our filmmakers struggle so much to craft nuanced ‘cricket films’ that it seems important to remind them of the cinematic disasters they have served up in the name of cricket. And I am talking about big star vehicles.

The first Bollywood movie in which cricket was crucial to the plot was Subodh Mukherjee’s Love Marriage (1959) where Dev Anand plays the cricketing sensation from Jhansi who arrives in Bombay to make a name. The landlord's daughter (Mala Sinha), is smitten as she watches him in action on the cricket field. But then, everyone forgets all about cricket, and voilà, a cliched Bollywood love story follows. Who needs cricket when you have young love blossoming? Fortunately, Bollywood spared us from any more ‘cricket films’ for the next three decades. However, the 1983 world cup victory was a watershed moment for Indian cricket, and it set the tone for new tales of valour and potential movie scripts. But even this monumental victory failed to inspire Bollywood and the next cricket-themed film turned out to be a masterclass in cinematic mediocrity. All Rounder (1984), the first Bollywood ‘cricket film’ post the 1983 victory had the one-hit-wonder Kumar Gaurav as an upcoming cricketer who conveniently replaces the Indian team’s star cricketer played by Shakti Kapoor (yes, you read that right). It had a mandatory love story, Shakti Kapoor’s revenge-seeking streak, and our hero's spectacular comeback. It is shocking how a sport so deeply embedded in our culture is reduced to masala entertainment, complete with clichés and over-the-top sequences.

But the crown jewel of cricket-themed blunders is undoubtedly Dev Anand’s Awwal Number (1990). Dev Anand plays a former cricketer, national chairman of selectors, and DIG of the Police in Awwal Number. Talk about a triple treat! He selects a budding cricketer (Aamir Khan) over his step-brother (Aditya Pancholi). An infuriated Pancholi plots to bomb the Wankhede Stadium during a one-day match. Picture this: Aditya Pancholi with a remote detonator, DIG Dev Anand with a sniper gun, Aamir Khan at the crease, and just six runs needed off the last ball. This is Bollywood's ‘cricket movie’; cinematic moments that are unforgettable in their own peculiar way. Absolutely no research goes into creating these sports films and no effort is made to understand how the game really works. The choices are driven more by the desire to please the masses than to create realistic and nuanced portrayals.