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

It is shocking how a sport so deeply embedded in the Indian culture is reduced to masala entertainment, complete with cliches and over-the-top sequences

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.

Most Hindi films about cricketers’ lives are predictable with overused tropes or cricket matches so unrealistic that it will make your head spin. Dil Bole Hadippa (2009), produced by Bollywood’s biggest studio Yash Raj Films, is a package of absurdity and implausibility. It has a woman cricketer (Rani Mukherjee) disguised as a man and getting selected in the national cricket team. Akshay Kumar's ‘cricket film’ Patiala House (2011) was based on an inspiring true story about an underdog cricketer who defied all odds to achieve his dreams in his forties. But what we got on screen was a hackneyed family drama with worn-out father-son squabbles and the ever-persistent anti-England stereotypes. Because clearly, when it comes to cricket, that is all there is to it, right?

Former cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin’s life mirrors a blockbuster Bollywood drama: the rise of an underdog to cricket stardom marred by a match-fixing scandal and the subsequent downfall. And of course, there is the Bollywood connection in his former wife and actress Sangeeta Bijlani. Yet, the biopic Azhar (2016) turned out to be the most fictional biopic ever as it clearly attempted to sanitise Azharuddin's controversial past. From the moment Emraan Hashmi stepped on screen with his collar up, there was nothing convincing about this two-hour snoozefest. And if you are wondering why Bollywood should reconsider making cricket movies, watch The Zoya Factor. It is a plot so bizarre that even the ever-reliable Dulquer Salman could not salvage it. It played out like a cringe-worthy parody of cricket, a movie that probably should have never seen the light of day.

Trust me, there are a dozen more films that I'd rather not recall. It is quite amusing for a cricket-crazy nation that cricket-themed films have swung and missed more than they have hit the mark. It is a cinematic game where even big directors have failed to execute a perfect straight drive, but at least we can always laugh at the bad ones.

wknd@khaleejtimes.com