The month-long summer of cricket in England is drawing to a close.
It is the final of 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup, and Team India is not a participant. What a bummer!
But we will have a first timer lift the prestigious trophy for the first time in 23 years, and, between New Zealand and England, this nation’s heart beats for Kane Williamson’s underdog side that prevailed over tournament favourites India.
While the sport itself has given us several come-from-behind, David vs Goliath type battles on the field, Indian cinema has brought a few of them to life on screen. With Ranveer Singh’s ‘83’ set to join that list in 2020, we bring you a list of cricket-themed underdog stories that will make you break into a haka for the Kiwis.
‘83’
Director: Kabir Khan
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Jiiva, Deepika Padukone
Ranveer Singh as Kapil Dev in ‘83’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Nothing tops this underdog story for diehard fans of Indian cricket. The year was 1983, and Kapil Dev’s team had as much chance of winning the World Cup as Chennai has of a deluge in July. The tale of how India defied the odds and changed the game’s power structure forever will be brought to life on screen by Kabir Khan in 83. Ranveer Singh plays the lead in the film, which also stars Jiiva in the role of Kris Srikkanth. “It is a story of human triumph, of grit and of determination,” is how Deepika Padukone, who co-produces and plays the role of Kapil’s wife Romi Bhatia, described the film.
‘Iqbal’
Director: Nagesh Kukunoor
Cast: Shreyas Talpade, Naseeruddin Shah, Girish Karnad
Shreyas Talpade in ‘Iqbal’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
This film turned out to be the calling card for a then little-known Marathi soap actor Shreyas Talpade, who plays a speech-and-hearing impaired boy from a remote village, and who successfully chases his dreams of playing cricket for Team India. The film also featured two thespians of stage in Naseeruddin Shah and the late Girish Karnad. Iqbal was a major commercial success, and Talpade has previously shared how he had to learn sign language and the art of fast bowling. “I was a medium pacer till that point. I had to learn base bowling, so my run up, bowling, and my actions had to be proper,” says Talpade, adding that a sequel is unlikely because “some things are better left the way they are.”
‘Jersey’
Director: Gowtham Tinnanuri
Cast: Nani, Shraddha Srinath
Nani in ‘Jersey’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The film is set in the 1980s, and has Nani play an ageing cricketer, Arjun. It is the ultimate underdog story, who could only watch as his dreams are taken away, and there’s nothing he can do to salvage pride. He loses his job, and nearly splits from the love of his life, only to bounce back in style — by letting his bat do all the talking. This unconventional story did require hardwork, as Nani attests. “Gowtham (Tinnanuri) and I knew that the audience would connect with the story only if I look convincing as a cricketer,” says Nani, who underwent training for 70 days attempting to perfect his body language. “The stance, holding the bat, how you run, wear the gloves, or walk away from the pitch when you get out… everything matters,” the actor adds.
‘Chennai 600028’
Director: Venkat Prabhu
Cast: Shiva, Nithin Sathya, Aravind Akash, Jai, Premgi Amaren
A still from Chennai 600028 | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
One of the popular Tamil cult films, Chennai 600028 reimagined the scope of a sports-themed movie when it released 12 years ago. It not only re-introduced Venkat Prabhu as a director but was also responsible for giving us Premgi Amaren, and for making the careers of actors Jai and Shiva. It captured the life and colours of gully cricket in Chennai, and told the tale of a persevering Sharks team that always came up short against an imposing Royapuram Rockers team. In the end, Sharks earn a hard fought victory over the Rockers in a tense match. Venkat Prabhu, who is a self-confessed fan of MS Dhoni, has previously mentioned that he intends to make a trilogy out of it. He is down two films. The wait is on for the third.
‘Kanaa’
Director: Arunraja Kamaraj
Cast: Aishwarya Rajesh, Sathyaraj, Sivakarthikeyan
Aishwarya Rajesh in ‘Kanaa’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Kanaa was in many ways director Arunraja Kamaraj living his life’s dream out through the fictional story of Kousalya Murugesan. Says the lyricist-director, “I wanted to become a cricket player, but life had other plans for me.” The film follows the story of a rural girl dead set in her ambition to become a cricketer, and fulfill her father’s desire, that she braves all odds to emerge successful at the highest level. One character, who played a coach in the film, was inspired by a cricketer named Ashok Kumar, who had captained Arunraja. “He is similar to MS Dhoni... always making tactical moves on the field. We once defended a paltry score of 75 thanks to him,” says the director, adding that he will be throwing his weight behind the Kiwis for the finals.