Sports is one of the most exciting film genres not just in India but globally too, which has stood the test of time. While Indian filmmakers have given us some blockbuster sports films like ‘Lagaan’, ‘Chak De! India’, and ‘Dangal’, Indian cine-goers have also witnessed an intermittent release of some brilliant sports films which struck the right chords with the viewers. In this article, we have compiled a list of five such well-made sports films which had their hearts in the right place.
Ferrari Ki Sawaari (Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar, Jio Cinema, Eros Now)
In order to fulfill his gifted son’s dream of playing at the mecca of cricket – the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London, the principled and upright Rusy (beautifully played by Sharman Joshi) gets embroiled in the case of a stolen Ferrari of a legendary Indian cricketer. The film is an emotional roller coaster and features earnest performances by Boman Irani, Paresh Rawal, and child actor Ritvik Sahore.
Iqbal (Streaming on Zee5)
Beautifully directed by Nagesh Kukunoor, the film revolves around an aspiring deaf and mute but immensely talented cricketer (Shreyas Talpade) who resides in a remote Indian village. Besides helping his farmer father during the day, he secretly starts training under an alcoholic ex-cricketer (Naseeruddin Shah) at night and is supported by his sister (Shweta Basu Prasad). While navigating through cricket club politics and dubious sports agents, will he achieve his dream of wearing the coveted blue Indian cricket uniform?
Kai Po Che (Streaming on Netflix)
An adeptly executed sports drama movie helmed by Abhishek Kapoor and based on Chetan Bhagat’s novel ‘The 3 Mistakes of My Life’, the film narrates the story of these three friends who set out to open a sports shop and a sports academy amidst the backdrop of harrowing events. Although it’s a film with cricket being an important plot point, the film is essentially an endearing story of three friends (brilliantly played by Sushant Singh Rajput, Rajkumar Rao, and Amit Sadh).
Saala Khadoos aka Irudhi Suttru (Streaming on Manorama Max)
The Tamil and Hindi versions of the movie are titled ‘Irudhi Suttru’ and ‘Saala Khadoos’ respectively. The film revolves around a disgruntled and unconventional former boxer turned boxing coach (played by the dependable Madhavan), who discovers raw talent in a Chennai-based poor fisherwoman (Ritika Singh) and trains her to become a boxer.
Soorma (Streaming on Netflix)
Helmed by Shaad Ali, it’s a beautifully made film based on real-life Hockey player Sandeep Singh (played by Diljit Dosanjh), who was a penalty corner specialist and also stars Taapsee Pannu and Angad Bedi in important roles. The inspiring story narrates how he first became a successful sportsman, but an unfortunate accident disables him. How he makes a glorious comeback through sheer grit and determination forms the film’s underlying premise.
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