The popularity of sports biopics in Hindi cinema is still in its early stages. Perhaps the popularity of Shah Rukh Khan’s Chak De India persuaded the directors that the genre would find a following. We haven’t seen many sports films based on true events in the short period that Hindi cinema has been creating them, and even fewer that can elicit nail-biting tension while covering all elements of their subject’s life. The majority of the time, they are hagiographies that gloss over a sportsperson’s controversies, conflicts, and tough times, providing us just a sanitized perspective of their life. However, there have been a handful that has raised the bar for the biographical genre. Here are a few biopics you should see.
1. Azhar
Since the release of the Azhar trailer, viewers have struggled to believe in the film’s narrative, which primarily disregards the match-fixing controversy. In the film, we’re also told that Azhar took the money to keep the gambler separated from the majority of the group. That one plot point was enough to knock an already bad picture down. We recognize that Bollywood biopics are rife with fictitious elements, but at the very least, they provide us with something realistic. The events that inspired this picture happened only a few decades ago, making it difficult for spectators to comprehend this strange circumstance.
2. Mary Kom
The unveiling of the first photographs of PC in the lead role in this biopic of fighter Mary Kom aroused outrage. Many people felt that the protagonist should have been represented by a Manipuri actor rather than someone who had no resemblance to the protagonist. Despite the criticism, the film was able to persuade a great number of people due to the story’s unfamiliarity to the general audience. Darshan Kumar delivered a heartfelt performance alongside Priyanka Chopra. The sequences in which the protagonist successfully parented her children while simultaneously trying to manage her career brought the film to life.
3. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
Milkha Singh is well-known for selling the film rights to his narrative for Rs 1. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, starring Farhan Akhtar, is a traditional sports biography that follows the same rhythms as other successful biopics, which explains why it has a timeless charm. Milkha Singh’s partition, sorrow, and suffering make for an amazing narrative, which Bhaag Milkha Bhaag realizes from the start. The film doesn’t sugarcoat his losses, and it doesn’t glorify the Flying Sikh, which is one of its finest qualities.
4. Paan Singh Tomar
Paan Singh Tomar, starring Irrfan Khan, takes the top slot on this list and is, in our opinion, not just the best sports biopic but also the best biographical film ever done in Hindi cinema. Paan Singh Tomar is a film directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia about a steeplechase athlete who becomes a dacoit owing to a family feud. Paan Singh Tomar didn’t have a traditional “hero,” but it did have an intriguing grey-shaded figure that made his trip feel real. Under Dhulia’s direction, Irrfan carried the film on his shoulders, and viewing it today is just as satisfying.