Sachin: A Billion Dreams (2017) India

The face of three generations of Indian cricket.

Genre:

Documentary, Biography, Drama, Sport.

Length:

Approximately 6-minute read.


Review:
     The Indian film market is not made for documentary films. If there's an exception, that has to be not just cricket, but Sachin Tendulkar. I know you know that India is a vast cultural diverse country. Hundreds of language, ethnic, religion, caste, in so many ways, so many people split over the things. But one thing that unites north, south, northeast is the cricket. The '83 World Cup might have been the new beginning, but Sachin was the X factor for the Indian cricket to see a revolution. The sports body saw an opportunity and rebranded themselves with his presence. Because of him, the Indians started to watch cricket, learn cricket. Hence the cricket became a religion and Sachin's a god.

     This is the second biographical-sport film about Indian cricket I'm seeing after 'M.S. Dhoni: An Untold Story'. I liked that it was not a feature film. Feature films are commercialised, skips parts, alters storyline and characters. Not to forget that there's will be boring  music tracks if it is an Indian film. Besides, to see the actors in the shoes of real life achievers, not that good as I always say, why did that guy won the Oscar, who just depicted the one who struggled and achieved in the real cruel world. So hats off to the filmmakers for bringing this up in the best way possible.

     You could call it a prequel to that Dhoni film. Not just because both the films are about cricket or Indian cricket, but they both ran parallel. In a way they are connected. Except, focused on the different person, and this one had a head start like a decade earlier. Most of the achievers in the sports had began with an unexpected gift at their very young age that steered them to choose an apt career. It could be anything. A badminton racquet or a chessboard or a pair of shoes. For Tendulkar, it was a cricket bat from his big sister. He was a naughty boy till he got that bat. With his brother's support, he took the sport seriously and then everything has changed for him for the next 27 years of his life.

     At the age eleven, he first took the bat. Five years later, he was the youngest player to represent his nation. That too was against the arch-rival in their home turf. I don't remember all those, because I was just a baby then. But 6 years later, I joined the fan club of one billion. I'm not a Tendulkar fan, though I always respected him alongside a few other gentlemen like him, Dravid and Dhoni. They are not just the players with good conducts, but rewrote the history. Besides, Nobody needs to be a Tendulkar fan to enjoy his batting. There were many legends before him and after him, but he had found his own unique place that will be remembered for decades, centuries.

 India played themselves into a situation that was not uncommon in those days. If Tendulkar out, India is out. 

     Being young would have been his advantage, but after getting a captaincy, he had struggled. If you are a 70s, 80s kid grown up in the 90s, then you would know the exact reason. In the late 90s, the match fixing event broke out. I remember my first ever World Cup, the '99 in England. But a sad event surfaced in his life. Even I got emotional while watching that part in this film. Those videos I watched 18 years ago and watching the same clips in this film with a backstory, tell me who won't melt down. A true hero. But the film was not just highlighting his achievements, focused on his life journey through the cricket he loved. So you could see everything he had seen his own eyes, like what his teammates achieved too and he was part of it.

     The narration was hopping between the World Cups like the checkpoints. How his cricketing life, as well as personal life shaped every four years were interesting to see. Because he had started his career at a young age, he saw many teammates come and go. The generation after generation for three, the sport too saw the revolution alongside. During his final days, it was the T20 era. The fearless cricket age. Seeing lots of ups and downs, he had marked his presence to inspire the future Indian cricketers. Even the Dhoni, Kohli and many legends of todays world cricketers have said that they have got inspiration from him.

     They have recreated the his boyhood life with the actors. Only in the initial stage to have a perfect start. Because I guess they did not have video clips for those sections. Sachin Tendulkar was born in an average Indian middle class family. But once his cricketing life began, and getting a popular, at least in the Mumbai region was the turning point. Especially after that dream run-fest with Vinod Kambli. Yeah, that's the first thing everybody learns when they wanted to know him.

     This could be most successful film for the director. Well written and directed, but had missed one big thing. Where's the Sudhir Chaudhary? Anybody who is familiar with Indian cricket knows that guy. Yeah, he was there for a few seconds, but I anticipated a small brief or mention about him. My experience was good, though listening all the dialogues, even the real clips in Tamil translation looked a bit strange, but nothing wrong. I really would like to see it again in English.

     They had skipped the IPL part, just like Dhoni's film to make it a united national product. But one of the best parts of that league was, his batting was celebrated even from the opposition fans. So the India united for him, because of him when franchise based regional war were going on. Just over the two hour long, it was a well detailed biopic. If you are an Indian cricket fan, you surely would love it. Even if you are a cricket fan from overseas, there's no reason to hate or ignore it. A must see for all who love this sport, as well as who never heard of it to learn something out of it.



Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent


Similar movies:
Fire in Babylon, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, I Am Bolt, Seve the Movie.


External link(s):

WCA geolocation:
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M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016) India

We know him as Dhoni, but this is the tale of Mahi.

Genre:

Biography, Drama, Romance, Sport.

Length:

Approximately 7-minute read.


Review:
     Usually Indian film fans are divided according to the regions. Because if you turn any corner in that country, there's another film industry, another English alphabet replaced to rhyme with Hollywood. They have got their own bunch of actors, filmmakers and films. They might be divided over films and film productions, but they always united when it comes to cricket.

     Remember one and a half decade ago an Indian film about the same sport made into the Oscars, but did not win. This film was based on the life of one of the greatest Indian and world cricket player. So length into breadth of the India, it was a highly anticipated sport-biographical film. India has a long history of cricket. It was brought into the country by the British nearly half a millennium ago. It is called a gentlemen's game, which means only rich and royal people can play.

     So in India, cricket was always been a game highly influenced in big cities. Players from those places are high in demand till recently. Talents from second and third tier cities never been noticed. But some player made it because of political and other sort of influence. That's changed forever when Mehendra Singh Dhoni's success inspired millions of people. Made youngsters to take bat and ball believing someday they can play for their state or in the national team.

     If you are an Indian, I'm sure you had heard many things about him, his difficult path to stardom. There's nothing much difference in the life journeys of his and Shivaji Rao Gaekwad. They both were ticket sellers/collectors. Struggled through to initiate their profession, but in a different field. Now they're superstars.

     In Indian films, it's only recently the trend had started in biopics. For a cricketer, it is an ideal initiation. Remember Sachin Tendulkar's documentary film is due to release in this summer, but it is an international project. It can't be neglected because of his hardcore fans, not just in India, but across the world. He had retired a while ago, but still fans chant his name during the recent games.

     I know this director, since one of his films was remade as 'Someone Like You'. Bollywood films are always very stylish, but slips away while depicting realism of India, Indian society and culture. That's where I lost interest in them. I watched it for MS, since he plays/played for my team CSK who is known as Thala.

     Seems funny, some of the lines that translated into Tamil. But culture wise, it is understandable. A boy was born on the 7th of July '81, but soon the narration shifts focus on his childhood in the late 80s. A fine football goalkeeper, but changed his sport after an unexpected offer. Extremely interested in batting, but his opportunity was being a wicket keeper.

 You won't face the same ball always in your life. You've to play on your merit and just hang in there. The scoreboard will keep ticking along. 

     When he enters his teenage, he had learnt to play his own method. Particularly in batting which is the least given privilege to him by his coach. Supportive parents, but from above that, the great friends gang, he had with him at all the good and bad times. The first half is all about the cricket. In fact the whole film was about him and the cricket, the rest of his life was not concentrated enough. I mean on other stuffs, except the romance that takes off during the beginning of the second half. So basically that's where you will come to know this guy is a man with feelings and emotions like you and me.

     We all knew him as a cricketer, a great cricketer to say. Since his romance parts come into play, for a brief moment the sport was set aside. A love story kick starts. All those who believed he's a superhuman, will come to realise after witnessing Bollywood style of romance, which is basically how happens in real India. He's not an emotion showing type, especially in public or during the game. But there's a scene in the film and when it appears, that's really heartbreaks. No offense, but it looked Sakshi demanded a proposal than expecting it to come her way naturally.

     The three hours is too long for a film, but for this film I felt they had left out many things with short scenes/events, otherwise it would have gone past the four hour mark or even higher. So two part film would have made it a better product, but I'm happy for it to be a single film.

     I was bothered about the songs, but they smartly merged them with the storytelling. Particularly commercial films can't afford to lose the blue print of Indian cinema, since songs are the free television commercial, to popularise the film prior to its release. All the actors were great. The lead actor was at his best, especially when it comes to the technics in the games to match the Dhoni's style of play. Most of the locations are the actual locations, including the school, grounds and house(s). I think it was a good move.

     The film was not entirely true. They have changed the events to suit the cinematic. A man's 30 years of life journey to put into a 3 hour film, it has to be done and they did it neatly in Indian style. Some people are complaining about this and that, but that's understandable if you understand the concept of filmmaking, particularly money making film.

     Only the first two acts were very gripping. The final act was predictable, if you are an ardent cricket follower. Because you know everything on field about this man which is what covered in those parts. And the rest of the film was like behind the scenes of a film called his life. This is a wonder film, and I know the majority of the Indians won't miss it or had already watched it. But for the outsiders, this is not a bad flick, even if you don't know the sport or the player. Worth a try, otherwise definitely recommended.



Suitable for:
Tween, Teen, Adult, All


Final verdict:
Ignore, Bad, Average, Good, Excellent


Similar movies:
Fire in Babylon, Save Your Legs, Backyard Ashes, Million Dollar Arm, Goal, Seve the Movie.


External link(s):

WCA geolocation:
Right now we're in