While most people remember Lagaan and Iqbal or the more recent films on Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar, what about the lesser known films on the sport?
Sukhpreet Kahlon
The ongoing cricket fever has gripped the nation which seems to be thinking only in sixes, fours, wickets and boundaries.
In dedication to the millions of cricket fans, we decided to take a look at Hindi films that featured the sport of cricket. While most people remember Lagaan and Iqbal or the more recent films on Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar, what about the lesser known films on the sport? Here are six films you may have missed:
Love Marriage (1959)
Sunil Kumar (Dev Anand) is the star batsman of the Jhansi Sporting club. He arrives in Bombay looking for a job and is told that he does not stand a chance against the expert bowlers of the city. But Sunil insists on proving himself and is given a chance. His neighbour’s daughter Geeta (Mala Sinha) is an ardent cricket fan and admonishes Sunil as being a “gilli-danda player”. But when she sees him playing, she falls in love with him and as the title of the film suggests, they get married but things are not as rosy as they seem.
The film is mostly remembered for the lovely Mohammad Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar duet 'Dheere Dheere Chal', and the fun number, 'She Ne Khela He Se Aaj Cricket Match'.
All Rounder (1984)
Following India’s victory in the World Cup in 1983, there were several films that featured the sport of cricket. Directed by Mohan Kumar, All Rounder was one of them. Ajay (Kumar Gaurav) dreams of becoming a cricketer. His brother (Vinod Mehra) spares no effort to make him fulfil this desire. Ajay makes it to the Indian team and is well, an all-rounder. But he displaces star cricketer Vikram (Shakti Kapoor) in doing so. Vikram swears to take revenge and succeeds in his plot to dislodge Ajay from the team. Ajay must strive hard to regain his former position and be accepted in the team.
Awwal Number (1990)
Written, directed and produced by Dev Anand, the film traces the fall of an egotistical cricket star Ronnie (Aditya Pancholi), who has been passed over by the Cricket Board for a promising, young cricketer from a humble background, Sunny (Aamir Khan). Meanwhile, in a curious twist of events, guerilla militants threaten to blow up the cricket stadium where the match is to be held, creating panic amongst the authorities. The all-in-one man at the helm of affairs, Vikram Singh aka Vicky (Dev Anand) is the ex- Director General of Police and President of the cricket selection board, who is given the additional charge of securing the stadium and ensuring that the match is played without any incident. Driven by his commitment to the sport and his country, he vows to do what is right despite personal ramifications.
After the ode to cricket in Love Marriage, Awwal Number features 'Yeh Hai Cricket', dedicated to the inevitably oscillating outcomes of the sport.
Say Salaam India (2007)
A film that brings out the politics of the game, like its predecessor Iqbal (2005), Say Salaam India is set on school grounds where Sadu (Sanjay Suri) and Harry Oberoi (Milind Soman) coach rival school teams with very different attitudes to the game. Like Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander, the film pits underdogs against the privileged school kids. Refreshingly, the film also makes a case for the playing of traditional Indian sports like kabbadi, hockey or even wrestling.
Chain Kulii Ki Main Kulii (2007)
Thirteen year old Karan (Zain Khan) is an orphan who chances upon the cricket bat used by Kapil Dev to score a fabulous 175 not out in the 1983 World Cup. Equipped with this bat, which seems to have magical powers, he becomes the youngest player to play international cricket in a team coached by Varun (Rahul Bose). He becomes a sought after player and is wanted by couples hoping to adopt children as well. A series of events take place and Karan ends up losing his bat just before the final match. Now Karan must decide his fate and that of his team that is counting on him to win the match.
Victory (2009)
Like the protagonist in Love Marriage, Vijay Shekhawat (Harman Baweja) finds it difficult to showcase his talent outside his home town of Jaisalmer. But when the Indian team comes to Jaipur to prepare for a tour of Australia, he finds an opportunity to impress the coach and is selected. But his meteoric rise as a player brings several pitfalls. The film explores the commercial aspect of the game when the money and ad campaigns become bigger than the sport. But Vijay decides to change his ways and get back to the real game, literally.
Victory features several special appearances by Indian and International cricketers, creating the ambience of the real sport of cricket and its travails.
