Brothers- Updates #2

MMA - Mixed Martial Arts - This is the theme for the next big release of Bollywood. Never before has an Indian film brought on screen this full-contact combat sport that allows the use of both striking and grappling techniques, both standing and on the ground. However, with the two men, Akshay Kumar and Sidharth Malhotra, slugging it out, one can be rest assured of some blood and sweat splattering around. Of course, moolah at the Box Office is expected to flow as well, what with the Karan Johar film finding itself being positioned as Super Hot for its Independence Day weekend release. For a film belonging to the sports genre, this Karan Malhotra directed affair is set to be the biggest of them all as well.

Here is looking at 10 other sports films from Bollywood that have managed to make their presence felt.

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag - Rs 109 crore
Unarguably the biggest in this genre so far, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is also a deserving entry in the Rs 100 crore club. For Farhan Akhtar, it was a challenge big enough to play a Sikh on screen. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra made it further difficult for him by making him go through the regime of a sportsperson. The results were there to be seen on screen as Farhan just turned into Milkha for this intense on-screen drama.

Chak De! India - Rs 68 crore
Despite the fact that Shahrukh Khan wasn't out there on the field wielding a hockey stick, he was pretty much inspiring as a coach. His speech of '70 minute' still reverberates in one's mind even though more than half a decade has gone by since the release of the film. Never before has a film turned out to be such an anthem celebration, as has been the case with 'Chak De! India' that still plays at sporting events.

Mary Kom - Rs 64 crore
The film started on a good note and sprinted to go past the 50 crore mark at the box office, hence finding its mention amongst the successful sports based films coming out of Bollywood. Incidentally, it is also the first film belonging to this genre that has a female central protagonist. Priyanka Chopra rocked the show, and how. The audience approved too.

Ferrari Ki Sawaari - Rs 32 crore
Now this was an experimental affair that paid off indeed. With cricket, a Ferrari and some human emotions thrown in, producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra decided to back this one up and that too with Sharman Joshi in lead. He too played a father on screen and was convincing enough as the man who went all out to support the cricketing passion of his only son. The film did manage to rake in good moolah at the box office.

Lagaan - Rs 30 crore
Though not quite promoted as a sports film, it pretty much turned out to be one, what with auditoriums turning into stadiums with audience rooting for Aamir Khan and Co. as they fought off British to allow some 'lagaan maaf'. What started off as a drama turned into an intense affair where one least expected a cricketing bat and a ball to show up. However this is what happened and history was written soon.

Apne - Rs 24 crore
Though not quite remembered in the same vein as many other Sunny Deol hits, the fact remains that it is one of the rare successes that the actor has enjoyed in the decade gone by. With the Deol family coming together for this boxing affair, there was good curiosity build up around it. While Sunny Deol as well as Bobby Deol found their turn to step into the ring, audience clapped too for a reasonable duration.

Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal - Rs 17 crore
John Abraham hasn't quite been sticking to any genre in particular and since football happens to be one of his strongest passions, it was just a matter of time before he gave a nod of approval to a film belonging to this genre. Director Vivek Agnihotri did manage to create certain exhilarating moments inside the stadium for the matches that were played for screen. The film was a decent runner at the box office.

Paan Singh Tomar - Rs 15 crore
If one half of the film was centered on sports, another had a dacoit angle thrown in. While this could well come across as a rare extreme, the fact remains that for the true story of Paan Singh Tomar, such ambiguity/irony pretty much defined his life and times. Though stuck in the cans for quite some time and released without much ado, the Tigmanshu Dhulia-Irrfan Khan film grew well with audience.

Iqbal - Rs 4.5 crore
Now this was one film that grew with word of mouth. Though on its inception it was an unassuming small film with an unknown actor (Shreyas Talpade) and a director (Nagesh Kukunoor) who was yet to find his bearing when it came to pulling masses in theaters, such was the kind of content on display that footfalls showed momentum with every passing day. A story about a fast bowler was never this exciting.

Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikandar - Rs 3.5 crore
Think Jo Jeeta Wahi Sikandar and one ends up remembering Pehla Nasha and the climactic cycle race sequence, though not necessarily in that order. The Aamir Khan-starrer was not designed as a sports flick and instead had a strong father-son-brother emotional quotient driving the narrative. However, 20 years down the line, it is still memorable for the adrenalin rush that was provided once the gears changed.