A sporty affair during Olympics fever

Express News Service

With the Tokyo Olympics 2020 underway, co-incidentally, many sports-based films have had their OTT releases, recently. Films such as Toofan, The Skater Girl, Sarpatta Parambarai, and Saina, have been the most talked-about sports dramas on social media. The love for sports dramas is increasing among the Indian audience, so much so, that netizens are now demanding an artiste from the North East to be cast if at all Bollywood is looking for a biopic on the Olympic silver medalist, Mirabai Chanu. Further, success stories of ace shuttler PV Sindhu who won bronze for the country or the  women’s hockey team who have qualified for the semi-finals at the Tokyo Olympics 2020, have sparked interest among the filmmakers to capture their stories on the silver screen.

Bengaluru-based filmmakers and sports coaches believe that there is a need to underline the stories of many such sports and sportspersons across India,  to show the country that Indian sports are not just synonymous with cricket, but it goes beyond the latter. Filmmakers also believe that the they can try and test on OTT platform without worrying much about the business numbers.

Filmmaker KM Chaitanya says “Sports-based films beg for an interesting and inspiring drama. It requires the character to train hard on the field and overcome obstacles to triumph in the sport and also in life. This is the perfect formula and that is why I believe many filmmakers are cashing in on sports-based dramas,” says Chaitanya who wants to direct a biopic on track and field athlete Ashwini Nachappa.

According to him, a sport like cricket has been overdone and that’s the reason “why you find directors going after interesting sports that are challenging and visually appealing”. Sports trainers believe that filmmakers should shed more light on the indigenous sports of India and bring out stories from the rural side of the country.

AK Abhinav, strength and sports conditioning coach, says, “Martial arts, archery, kabbadi are some of the indigenous sports that are deeply connected to the roots of India’s civilization. Sarpatta Parambarai highlighted the boxing culture of North Madras which very few people are aware of.” Further, he said that any sports-based film should translate a mere armchair audience into a sports enthusiast and a participant. Vincent Paul, a Bengaluru-based boxing coach says, “As trainers, we feel happy when sports films show the relationship between a guru and a student. The audience needs to understand what kind of rigorous training goes behind every successful sportsperson. A film based on the trainer’s life is also the need of the hour that will inspire many sportspersons.”

Moreover, sports-based dramas also bring social packages along with them and underline several issues. “Social issues are an integral part of sports-based dramas because every sportsperson has overcome such challenges. From focusing on women empowerment to lack of opportunities for backward classes, a sports film will carry a social angle as part of the story. It is interesting to see the OTT releases coinciding with the Olympics, despite the filmmakers working on the projects much earlier,” says filmmaker Jacob Varghese, who wants to make a film on the former track and field queen, PT Usha.