From the 1991 Ashwini to the recent A1 Express in 2021, the sports drama genre has always been popular with the Telugu audience. This year, there are several films revolving around sports slated for release. These include Gopichand and Tamannaah's Seetimaarr, Keerthy Suresh's Good Luck Sakhi, Varun Tej's Ghani and Vijay Deverakonda's Liger.
Ashwini was a blockbuster produced by Ramoji Rao. The film had star athlete Ashwini Nachappa playing the lead role herself. The story traces her rags to riches journey after her talent was spotted by a coach, played by Bhanu Chander.
Commenting on the genre and the popularity that it enjoys, film critics say that the sports drama follows a certain template that allows cinematic storytelling and gives a lot of scope for the story to develop. "There are certain templates that work for storytelling; the rags to riches story, highs and lows, rooting for the underdog, tears and triumph. There's a lot of drama that can be explored through these themes. There's always a moment of glory which makes you feel good at the end. These are classic storytelling devices," says film critic CR Hemanth.
Most sports dramas follow such a pattern as we get to see only the stories of successful players and their journeys. Hemanth further adds that this could be a byproduct of the news cycle. "The more you hear about glory and the back stories, the more you are compelled to tell them," he says.
The 2019 film Jersey, starring Nani and Shraddha Srinath, however, was an exception in this regard. The film told the story of a cricketer who fails to make it big and also reveals his frustrations and dilemmas in dealing with his family.
Watch scenes from Jersey movie here :
Not all films with the hero as a sports player revolve exclusively around the sport though. Many a time, the sport is relegated to the background as the filmmakers stuff the story with love, revenge and songs, observes film critic Suresh Kavirayani.
For example, Okkadu has Mahesh Babu in the lead, playing the role of Ajay, a kabaddi player. However, he falls for Swapna, played by Bhumika, in the process of saving her from the villain, and the sport is pushed to the background. Okkadu is one of Mahesh Babu's biggest hits. Films like SS Rajamouli's Sye, Naga Chaitanya-Samantha's Majili, and Srihari's Bhadrachalam also feature a sport prominently but there are other tracks in the narrative too.
Interestingly, Telugu cinema has often showcased a love for kabaddi. Apart from Okkadu, there's Jagapathi Babu's Kabaddi Kabaddi, Nani's Bheemili Kabaddi Jattu and the upcoming Seetimaarr all dealing with the local sport. Boxing is another popular choice for the sports drama film, which also amplifies the masculinity of the hero. Ravi Teja and Asin's Amma Nanna O Tamila Ammayi, Venkatesh's Guru, Pawan Kalyan's Tammudu and the upcoming Vijay Deverakonda film Liger are examples.
Directors believe that sports films stand a good chance at the box office since there is always a market for inspirational stories.
"Several people tend to look for inspiration, be it in books, newspaper articles, surroundings or from cinema. So, there will always be a market for such movies that set out to inspire. Sports dramas have this potential," says director Sanjana Reddy.
Sanjana is making a biopic on weight-lifter and Olympic champion Karnam Malleshwari. While the script is ready, the film is yet to go on floors.
"In sports dramas or biopics, we tend to show the audience how a person made their mark in life from scratch. And it gives a sense of realisation that we can also achieve something, if not in sports, in other aspects of life,” says Sanjana.
Director Sanjana Reddy
She also adds that there is a need to showcase the stories of local sportspersons who have achieved their best in their respective fields. This also helps in establishing a better connection with the audience, she notes. “If not hundreds, it's okay if even one person gets motivated to become a sportsperson or wants to change society after watching our Karnam Malleswari biopic," says Sanjana.
Watch scenes from Ashwini movie here :