Bollywood making a dozen films on Indian sports stars

BY S VENKAT NARAYAN,

Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI:

Encouraged by the success of biopics made on sports personalities/events during the past three decades, Bollywood is now planning to make at least a dozen films on popular Indian sports stars.

Since 1992, Bollywood has produced 15 sports-based films in Hindi. Together, they earned INR 40 billion at the box office. And as many as eight of them had made over a billion Indian rupees each.

Waiting to hit theatres soon is a film simply titled ’83. It about India winning the Cricket World Cup in 1983 under Kapil Dev’s captaincy. Directed by Kabir Khan, actor Ranveer Singh plays Kapil Dev’s role.

Hockey legend Dhyan Chand is the subject of a biopic filmmaker Abhishek Chaubey is working on.

The other sports-based projects include Maidan, in which Ajay Devgn plays football coach Syed Abdul Rahim; Ashutosh Gowariker’s Toolsidas Junior; Tiger Shroff’s Ghanpat; Farhan Akhtar-starrer Toofan; and Shahid Kapoor’s Jersey.

While these films are about male characters, several biopics are in the pipeline about female sports stars, too. Cricketer Virat Kohli’s film star-wife Anushka Sharma will reportedly play cricketer Jhulan Goswami. Taapsee Pannu will star in a sports drama called Rashmi Rocket. She will portray Jhulan Goswami’s teammate Mithali Raj, who has led the Indian cricket team.

Actress Parineeti Chopra is busy with her next, a biopic of badminton star Saina Nehwal. Biopics on tennis player Sania Mirza and badminton player PV Sindhu have also been announced.

The enormous success of earlier films made on sports stars and events is clearly what has encouraged filmmakers to undertake so many new sports-based projects in the hope of raking in the moolah.

Dangal, made in 2016 about a wrestler training his daughters into medal-winning wrestlers for the country, was the most popular of them all. Starring Aamir Khan, it earned INR 20 billion at home and abroad. The film made more money in China than in India itself.

The other top-grossing sports-based films include Lagaan. Made in 2001 about a bunch of village cricketers who defeat a team of Englishmen during the British Raj, it also starred Aamir Khan, and collected INR 5.56 billion.

The other super hits are Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikander, starring Aamir Khan as a cyclist out to win a race (INR 5.2 billion, made in 1992); Sultan, starring Salman Khan as a wrestler (INR4.16 billion, 2016); MS Dhoni, starring Sushant Singh Rajput playing Dhoni (INR2.16 billion, 2016); Bhaag Milkha Bhag, starring Farhan Akhtar as Olympic medal-winning runner Milkha Singh (INR2.1 billion, 2013); Chak De! India, starring Shah Rukh Khan as a hockey coach (INR1.9 billion); Gold, starring Akshay Kumar as manager of the Indian cricket team Tapan Das (INR1.58 billion); and Mary Kom, starring Priyanka Chopra as female boxer Mary Kom (INR1.04 billion, 2014.