The Bollywood industry and cricket certainly go hand in hand. While a number of cricketers have married Bollywood divas in the past, the film industry has come up with some amazing flicks and web series based on the games.
Here are some of the finest cricket-based films and web series that the entertainment industry has produced.
Lagaan
Amir Khan and Gracy Singh starrer Lagaan is considered to be one of the finest films that the Bollywood has produced. The story goes back in time when India was ruled by the British. Amir plays the role of Bhuvan who is an energetic youngster from the village Champaner and Gauri who is played by Gracy is his love interest.
The villagers who had paid tax or Lagaan to the British request them to cut down on the taxes. To this Captain Russell played by Paul Blackthorne keeps in the condition in front of them. He asks the villagers to play a cricket match with his team and if they win, the tax for the next three years would be canceled but if they get defeated, the villagers would pay thrice the total of the tax paid.
The villagers eventually agree to the condition. Bhuvan leads the side in a three-day match and wins it for the villagers in the end.
MS Dhoni-The Untold story
The Bollywood industry has produced a number of biopics but this one certainly tops the chart. The film is based on MS Dhoni’s life. it shows his struggles from the beginning to making a place in the Indian team and leading the side to World Cup glory.
Dhoni’s role is played by Sushant Rajput while Kiara Advani played his wife Sakshi’s role. Disha Patani was also a part of the film who played the role of Dhoni’s girlfriend who dies in a car accident.
Iqbal
Shreyas Talpade, Naseeruddin Shah and Shweta Basu Prasad starrer is a cricket-based film that shows a young, talented, deaf and dumb fast bowler’s story who wants to represent India someday. Shreyas plays the lead role of Iqbal while Shweta is his sister.
Naseeruddin Shah plays the role of Iqbal’s coach. Despite all the obstacles and politics, Iqbal makes a way into the Indian team.
Inside Edge 1 and 2
The Inside Edge is an Amazon Prime web series starring Tanuj Virwani, Angad Bedi, Vivek Oberoi, Flora Siani, Richa Chadha, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Amit Sial, Sanjay Suri and Sayani Gupta in the first season.
The first season shows how the Power Play League (PPL) is plagued with the match-fixing scandal and the mastermind behind it is Vivek Oberoi who plays the role of Vikrant Dhawan. Tanuj Virwani plays the lead role of Vayu Raghvan while Angad Bedi is the captain of the side Mumbai Mavericks that is owned by Dhawan and Richa Chaddha who is playing Zarina Malik. Angad plays Arvind Vashisht while Sayani Gupta is playing Rohini Raghvan who is the sister of Vayu and also Mavericks’ analyst.
Siddhant plays the role of young fast bowler Prashant Kanaujia while Amit is playing Devender Mishra. Both of them are a part of Mavericks but Devender teases Prashant because of his caste. Sanjay Suri is playing Niranjan Suri who is the coach of the Mavericks. Dhawan murders Niranjan as he denies to fix matches in the middle of the league.
Vayu turns the table upside down when he along with Zarina makes Dhawan lose the bets in the final of the PPL.
The second season comprises of Tanuj Virwani, Sapna Pabbi, Angad Bedi, Vivek Oberoi, Flora Siani, Richa Chadha, Siddhant Chaturvedi, Amit Sial, Sayani Gupta, Eli Avram, Gaurav Sharma, Aamir Basir, Vidya Malvade and Makrand Deshpande.
Sapna Pabbi who is playing Mantra Patil is the new love interest of Vayu and the new co-owner of the Mavericks. Mantra is also the daughter of ICB President Patil or Bhaisaab and this role has been played by Aamir Basir.
The second edition shows how to gain supreme power the President of the ICB fixes matches himself and then corners the co-owners of the Mavericks.
Arvind Vashisht gets a new job as coach cum captain of the Haryana Hurricanes. Vidya who is playing Tisha Chopra is their bowling coach. Eli Avram plays the role of a cheerleader and Prashant’s love interest while Gaurav Sharma who plays Moses Alexander’s role replaces Niranjan as Mavericks coach.
Zarina Malik along with Bhaisaab fixes players for their own good but Arvind gets the important information about the wrongdoings in the league from Vikrant before the final of the PPL. He shares the details with Moses and Vayu and decides to play a fair game.
Vayu drops four fixed players from the final leaving no chance for Zarina and Bhaisaab to execute their plans. Though Mavericks lose the final and it helps the two earn money as they put the bet on Hurricanes winning but a video released just after the final reveal about the scandal in the league. With ICB votes for President going against Bhaisaab, he puts the onus on Mavericks owners and comes out clean to eventually win the elections.
Note: Ranveer Singh is working on a film based on India’s 1983 triumph.
