5 sporting icons who genuinely deserve biopics

As ‘Thugs of Hindostan’ tanked at the box office, movie goers were surprised by a blessing in disguise. The word of mouth propelled the collections of ‘Badhaai Ho’ and it is on its verge to become another blockbuster like ‘Stree’. Elated by the response, director Amit Ravindernath Sharma has tweeted the following:-

So the director has officially confirmed that the much talked about biopic starring Ajay Devgn has officially hit the floors. This is nothing less than a breeze of fresh air for the otherwise redundant and archaic Bollywood. If this continues on such a healthy note, we should seriously support the campaign for bringing out more unsung heroes like these into limelight.

At a time, when elite Bollywood is content with making biopics on shady sports stars and anti social elements, such films seem like a good anti dote. Some of the unsung sports heroes have lives that are not only dramatic, but also match every parameter that make a classic Bollywood entertainer. While the list is quite exhaustive, here are 5 sportspeople of India who deserve a biopic without delay:-

1. Deepa Malik –

Often Bollywood wails about lack of focus on women empowerment. However, going by their film collections, they hardly seem to practice what they preach. Even in biopics, except for a botched attempt on Mary Kom, there isn’t much to talk on when it comes to depicting women with nerves of steel.

However, if they depict the tale of Deepa Malik, they might reduce this burden by a significant margin. After all, there’s everything they need for the perfect feminist movie: from devil may care attitude, to breaking every known stereotype, whether as a woman or as a differently abled athlete. The journey to India’s first ever medal in any female category of Paralympics is exactly the stuff of legends Bollywood desires. A biopic on Malik is due on the part of bollywood.

2. Hima Das –

A darling of the masses and India’s female equivalent of the once legendary athlete Milkha Singh, Hima Das’ life has been a constant roller coaster. Born in an extremely poor household, the rock solid determination that made a champion out of Hima is something that will inspire millions. She’s only 18, and yet she has a World under 20 Championship gold medal, three Asian Games medals, including a gold medal from the iconic 4*400 m. relay etc. in her kitty.

Depicting her tales of victory against all odds would be an honest tribute to girl power in true sense. Also on a light note, if someone dares to put her vocal opposition against illegal immigration in her teens as well, it will send massive burns to the left liberals for sure.

3. Sourav Ganguly –

Aggressive Player, Dedicated Captain, True Patriot- these words perfectly define the former Indian Cricket captain. The tumultuous life of Sourav Chandidas Ganguly, the ‘Prince of Kolkata’ is the perfect recipe for an extremely successful Bollywood masala entertainer. Be it his charismatic re-introduction at Lords in 1996, or his attitude against the sledge loving Australians, one tends to wonder as to why Bollywood chose to ignore his life, when it served just the recipe for a perfect blockbuster.

Fun fact, if Ranveer Singh is brought in for this role, he will do full justice to this wacky role, as his life has been exactly similar to that of the ‘Bengal Tiger’, albeit on a different stage you know.

4. Harendra Singh –

If you think that the portrayal of SRK as Kabir Khan in ‘Chak De India’ is the best depiction of a hockey player, you’ve probably never heard of Harendra Singh. The current coach of Indian hockey team has lost a lot in his pursuit to see India back as a hockey superpower. From being mocked by prospective employers for his Bihari origins, to becoming India’s first FIH certified coach by flying colours, this ex silver medalist from 1990 Asian Games has seen it all.

An insight into how he rose against all muck and grime thrown on him to become the Man Friday for Indian hockey is something that can emulate the success story of Dangal, if not eclipse it. Also, a touch of personal drama, including his close friendship with legendary player Dhanraj Pillai, who stood with him through thick and thin, will be a literal treat for all. While it would be too early to suggest names for this biopic, I personally think someone of the caliber of Randeep Hooda or Irrfan Khan would the best for this role.

5. N N Mukherjee –

N N Mukherjee [right] aka Habul Da with legendary player Balbir Dosanjh

Ever heard of N N Mukherjee? If missing the chance of Srinivasa Ramanujan was a criminal miss of Bollywood, missing a chance to portray the ‘Godfather of Indian hockey’ on silver screen is an even bigger crime.

An eccentric player of Bengali origin, who had made Uttar Pradesh his home, N N Mukherjee, affectionately called Habul Da used to play hockey in ‘kurta’ and ‘dhoti’. He was a national champion at par with the brilliance of Major Dhyan Chand, but unfortunately never got a call for the international level.

It was Habul Da who coached a rather rag tag Indian team to a sweet victory at Tokyo Olympics in 1964. The journey to this Olympics wasn’t easy either. Infighting amongst federations and players, negative campaigning by media, classic India Pakistan rivalry, nail biting matches, you name it and this journey had it all. Sadly, Habul Da was never credited for his efforts and he passed away in ignominy in 1996.

A biopic on India’s journey to Tokyo Olympics, with N N Mukherjee’s efforts in limelight, just like ‘Gold’, would be the ‘Baahubali’ moment for Bollywood, since every character of this story has his own tale to mesmerize the audience with.