Despite cricket’s popularity, Bollywood has produced only a few cricket-themed films. Cricket is a religion for us Indians. While the scale of cricket fandom is as incomprehensible as its feverish intensity, Bollywood appears to be taking advantage of it, following the current trend of depicting real people’s real stories on screen. Bollywood and cricket are inseparable. They are the two most popular genres among Indians. As we approach the conclusion of the Cricket World Cup 2023, let’s take a look at the top three highest-rated cricket biopic movies available on OTT.
These are the films you should not miss if you are watching the Cricket World Cup in 2023. These films will introduce you to your idols and provide you with a more in-depth and up-close look at them. We’ve brought you the highest-rated, most-criticized, and most-loved biopics of all time. These films depict your favourite cricketer’s true story, hardships, and struggles. Take a look at the list below.
Best cricket biopic movies:
1. MS Dhoni: The Untold Story:
Year of release: 2016
Director: Neeraj Pandey
IMDB rating: 8/10
OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar
Storyline: MS Dhoni: The Untold Story is an inspiring biographical sports film that delves into the life and journey of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, one of India’s greatest cricketers. The film, directed by Neeraj Pandey, takes the audience on an emotional roller coaster ride through Dhoni’s struggles, victories, and the unwavering spirit that propelled him to become a cricketing legend.
Sushant Singh Rajput gives an outstanding performance as Dhoni, effortlessly capturing his mannerisms, body language, and charisma. Rajput’s portrayal of Dhoni brings the character to life, allowing the audience to connect with his journey on a profound level, from his humble beginnings as a ticket collector in Indian Railways to leading the Indian cricket team to unprecedented heights.
Review:
The film brilliantly captures the essence of Dhoni’s personal and professional life, offering glimpses into his relationships, dreams, and the difficulties he faced along the way. The story strikes an ideal balance between highlighting Dhoni’s cricketing brilliance and delving into the human side of the man behind the stumps. It emphasizes the value of perseverance, hard work, and self-belief, inspiring viewers to pursue their dreams despite all odds.
The screenplay is well-written, blending Dhoni’s cricketing triumphs with his personal struggles. The cricket sequences are meticulously choreographed, recreating some of Dhoni’s most memorable moments with great detail. The film brilliantly captures the passion and frenzy of Indian cricket fans, depicting Dhoni’s deep emotional connection with his fans.
Disha Patani, who plays Dhoni’s first love interest, Kiara Advani, who plays his wife Sakshi, and Anupam Kher, who plays his strict yet supportive father, all give outstanding performances. Their performances add depth and emotional resonance to the story, heightening the film’s overall impact.
While MS Dhoni: The Untold Story is an engrossing film, it is not without flaws. The film’s running time is approximately three hours, which may test the patience of some viewers. Furthermore, certain aspects of Dhoni’s life are glossed over, leaving the audience wanting a more in-depth examination of specific events and relationships.
Finally, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story is an admirable biographical film that captures the highs and lows of Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s life and career. It pays homage to a cricketing legend with stellar performances, engaging storytelling, and an inspiring message.
2. 83′:
Year of release: 2021
Director: Kabir Khan
IMDB rating: 7.5/10
OTT platform: Netflix, Disney+ Hotstar
Storyline: It’s difficult to make a biopic based on a true sporting event. Making one that stands out for its concept, production, characterisation, script, and execution is even more difficult. That 83 accomplishes all of this is as much of a (pleasant) surprise to everyone watching as the World Cup victory must have been to everyone watching!
It is no longer a secret that 83 is a box office success. The trailer left us with some serious doubts and concerns about whether the film would do justice or end up being another drum-beating, chest-thumping flop that Bollywood is well capable of dishing out.
Naturally, there is some extra salt, but it does not ruin the dish. You fall in love with the ingredients that make this film a rich cinematic delight frame by frame. First and foremost, Ranveer Singh has done an amazing job of getting into the skin of Kapil Dev and delivering a performance that is worth watching over and over. He walks and speaks like Kapil. But, perhaps most importantly, he bowls and bats like Kapil! That, to me, is a truly exceptional effort, because it is never easy to replicate an art perfected by a sportsman over a long period of time.
Review:
You soak in the emotion, feel the turmoil, blood boils, you laugh, your heart sinks, and your chest swells with pride as the story of an unlikely World Cup triumph unfolds in front of you for 162 minutes. begin to make connections between the real and the fictional. You understand the heroes of 83’s strengths, vulnerabilities, mindsets, and diverse backgrounds. They make you laugh as well as sigh. Each character punches above their weight to bring you as close to that golden generation of cricketers who helped India reclaim its place in sporting history as possible. The victory meant so much more to the country.
In addition to Ranveer Singh, Pankaj Tripathi reigns supreme as a team manager and administrator, and everything else rolled into one delectable Hyderabadi package. Every time he appears on screen, he steals the show. Isn’t that an accomplishment in the context of a sporting event that is supposed to be the main attraction?
Aside from getting the players’ actions and mannerisms correct. Director Kabir Khan deserves a lot of credit for reproducing cricket action to such a high degree of accuracy. Only the cricketing portion of the action is worth watching.
Where the film falls short is in the tame addition of political-communal context, the intimate conversations between the captain and his wife, a forced plug about Indo-Pak rivalry, and a weaker depiction of the team’s campaign support. It detracts slightly from what is otherwise an excellent product.
Now for the important part: 83 recreates the journey of a team and its maverick captain for future generations who would have otherwise missed it in the chaos of live action we are bombarded with. It demonstrates where we have come from. And for that, Kabir Khan and his team deserve a standing ovation.
3. Kaun Pravin Tambe?:
Year of release: 2022
Director: Jayprad Desai
IMDB rating: 8.3/10
OTT platform: Disney+ Hotstar
Storyline: It is not always necessary to be a legend to inspire. Sometimes all that is required is an honest, sincere, and consistent effort. Pravin Tambe is a 40-year-old struggling cricketer who was never given the opportunity to demonstrate his talent, and his career appears to be over before it even began. But his genuine devotion to his life, Cricket, is his only ray of hope. When everything appears to be over, life gives him a super over.
Rahul Dravid, The Wall, recognizes his talent and places him in the playing 11 of the Rajasthan Royals for the most incredible franchise league of cricket in the world, the IPL. His debut comes at an age when the majority of players retire. At a critical juncture, when the opponents are about to chase Rajasthan’s score, Pravin Tambe makes his debut and takes a hat trick.
On top of that, he became the IPL Tournament’s leading wicket-taker. Above all else, this is a true story. What an inspiring story that will test your patience but will reward you handsomely! Must See. Simple, but very special. The boy next door turned superhero. Shreyas Talpade delivers an emotional performance.
Review:
“Kaun Pravin Tambe?,” directed by Jayprad Desai and available on Disney+ Hotstar, is based on the real-life cricketer Pravin Tambe (Shreyas Talpade), who made his major league debut at the age of 41 with no first-class or international experience. Pravin Tambe’s story is one of perseverance, patience, and resilience, and it should serve as a lesson to all underachievers to keep doing what they do best until the tables turn in their favour.
Pravin’s life has a lot of teachings for everyone. On the one hand, his obsession with his cricketing goals eventually bore fruit; on the other hand, this very nature may have slowed his rise in cricket. Pravin begins as a medium-pace bowler. His coach (Ashish Vidyarthi) decides that his moderate success is insufficient. Pravin’s coach suggests attempting bowling spin because he has noticed how strong Pravin’s wrists and grip are.
However, Pravin does not take his coach’s advice because he believes he is not a good enough cricketer. Pravin only relents when he has hurt his leg and needs to bowl a crucial over in a match. According to the biopic, this is the story of Pravin’s late career switch from pace to spin bowling.
Some of the film’s most intriguing aspects include the life and culture of cricketers who never make it to the big leagues but continue to play thanks to private companies that hire them for their cricketing teams. These mundane jobs provide cricketers with a consistent income as well as the opportunity to put their skills to use on the field. Pravin thrives as a result of his talent and the kindness of those who come into contact with him. The cricketer and his wife’s (Anjali Patil’s) home life is also lovingly depicted, but these scenes could have been cut shorter to make the film more concise.
Pravin faces financial difficulties, the cold shoulder of selectors despite their agreement that he is talented, and the anxiety of growing older and not finding success. Rajat, played by Parambrata Chatterjee, is a sports journalist who doesn’t think much of Pravin’s talent; he seems oddly committed to not appreciating Pravin even when he is performing quite well. Perhaps Chatterjee’s role fulfils the need for a villain.
Final Word:
These movies will give a zest to the life of cricket-loving Indians. Even after facing a heartbreaking defeat in the World Cup 2023 against Australia, these films will add meaning to your life. These sports biopic movies are stories of true motivation, inspiration, and commendable hard work. With leading and versatile actors of the industry as the protagonists, the films are made to perfection.
Watch these films to shoo away your lost blues after World Cup 2023. These masterpieces are easily available on the bigwig OTT platforms. Revive your family and friends’ time by watching the best Sports biopic movies of Bollywood. This is when Bollywood pays great tribute to the other religion of India – Cricket. Don’t let your cricket fever run down, and grab your popcorn to enjoy a hail-hearted time with families.
So, this was all about the best of cricket biopic movies. Also read, Salman Khan plays cricket bringing WC fever in BB17 house!
