Bollywood filmmakers seem to be smitten by the idea of biopics lately. Over the past few years, it’s been raining biopics heavily in B-town. This genre in itself can be divided into subcategories like sports biopic, biopic on people of national and historical importance and then, movies like Sanju, which do not fit in any of the above categories (Sorry if you are a fan of Sanju!)!

 I accept that the movie saw some remarkable performances by the lead as well as supporting actors but the film did face some allegations that it has immensely whitewashed Sanjay Dutt’s image. The film was accused to be a glorification of Sanjay Dutt’s controversial life.  

However, Rajkumar Hirani rubbished all the allegations against his film citing that his intention was never to whitewash but to provide an insight into the eventful life of veteran actor Sanjay Dutt, who is also his close friend.                        

MS Dhoni is a highly celebrated cricketer. A film on his life gave a wider sneak-peek to his story. But somewhere I still couldn’t comprehend the need of his biopic at such an early stage. Umpteen players in the team have made it so far after persisting through difficult times. Does it really make sense to make a film on every cricketer who scored a century? All these sportsmen and sportswomen have an inspiring tale of struggle, hard work and dedication to tell, true, but when it comes to picturizing these stories, the element of uniqueness is somewhere at stake, isn’t it?

 Similar is the case with Saina, a biopic on Badminton player Saina Nehwal and a movie based on the life of Mithali Raj, captain of Women’s Indian cricket team played by the very versatile Taapsee Pannu. 

Film 83 stands out as an exception. It tells the tale of those resolute players who, in spite of lacking proper facilities, went to Lords, England only to return as champions and bring home India’s first ever Cricket World Cup. It was a proud moment; my father often recollects. The struggle, the hardship, the teamwork needs to be brought in front of everyone. 

The film revolves around Kapil Dev, then captain of the Indian cricket team and how he and his team went on to create history at Lords. The movie can be a source to relive those glorious days again.

Let’s wait and watch who the next winning sportsperson will be to be featured on the celluloid!

While the tinsel town is busy making biopics on every sportsperson with media attention or a medal, some makers, realizing the true purpose of biopics brought the life of some unsung heroes on screen; heroes who are either long forgotten or not given enough attention. 

Neerja Bhanot was indeed a great woman and someone the youngsters should look up to as an inspiration. It is only because of the film Neerja that many youngsters including me got to know about her brave life. She played a crucial role in a rescue mission from a hijacked plane during which she eventually lost her life. 

We could never imagine a man from a place like Haryana, where the sex ratio shines the worst, to train his four daughters to become the world’s finest wrestlers, again a profession considered to be exclusive for men. Our nation needs more people like Mahavir Singh Phogat. The movie Dangal, based on the life of Mahavir Singh Phogat, is a delight to watch. It is sure to give you goosebumps of national pride.

Another set of films based on best-sellers is also on a roll. This again makes me question the existence of creative writers in Bollywood. Chetan Bhagat has always been a favorite of filmmakers. He writes a book and there are directors and producers lined up to adapt his book to a movie. 

Well, books made into movies are very well driven by content and provide a wider scope for performance. Films like Kai Po Che and Lootera are poignancy at its best. You must be of the same opinion that watching a movie after reading and having fallen in love with the book is unstinting, while vice versa might not be true!!

Gully Boy, Badla and Article 15 are a few recently released phenomenal movies which did not owe the credit for their success to any living legend or a sportsperson. Chhichhore too deserves a mention. Though the movie is developed from its director Nitesh Tiwari’s IIT Bombay days, experiences are the mother of all great stories. Even the humor in the film maintained a dignity unlike resorting to cheap and cliché jokes. 

Somewhere a rework on the declined creative quotient needs to be done and the mechanism isn’t so difficult. All they need to do is discard the format and invest time and effort in more unique and exciting subjects!

Leave below your comments if you feel I missed out on anything?  Let me know whether you liked the article.