Iqbal (2005)

Director: Nagesh Kukunoor
Story: Vipul K. Rawal
Cast: Naseeruddin Shah, Shreyas Talpade
Music: Himesh Reshammiya, Salim-Sulaiman
Bottom-line: Perhaps the most realistic film based on cricket

  There have been many films about cricket where the batting the hero belongs to the batting team, but this is the first film I have seen where a bowler is the hero. Starring Shreyas Talpade and veteran actor Naseeruddin Shah in the lead roles, this film tells the story of one of the million children of India who aim for a place in the Indian cricket team. For this performance, Shah won the National Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Iqbal (Talpade) is a deaf and mute boy in a village in India. He, like thousands of other people of his age, has a dream of playing for the Indian Cricket Team. His father, however, thinks that this ambition is only a daydream, and wants Iqbal to help him in the field. Iqbal’s sister, Khadija, supports him and takes him to a coaching centre nearby, run by Guruji (Girish Karnad). Guruji accepts Iqbal, impressed by his bowling talent. However, after a fight with another student, Iqbal is asked to leave the coaching. Iqbal eventually discovers that a local drunkard, Mohit (Shah) was actually a cricketer. He persuades Mohit to coach him. Whether or not Iqbal is able to get Mohit to coach him, despite Mohit’s addictive drinking habits, and what follows, form the rest of the film.

Talpade as Iqbal and Shweta as Khadija

As I said before, this is a realistic portrayal of a cricket-obsessed boy. Cricket is the toughest game to get a chance in the national squad, mainly because of the number of people who want to be a part. Out of the one million children who have the dream, only twenty or so get the chance. This film shows what a boy must go through, how much one should struggle, and what all one should accomplish before making the dream a reality.

We have Iqbal, a boy for whom cricket is in his blood; he depends solely on his sister for translation purposes, but he strongly believes in himself, that he can accomplish the goal. The characters are well-developed: a father, who wants his son to work in the field and ignore cricket; a mother who loves her son and does not mind him playing cricket; a loving sister who helps her brother through thick and thin; a drunkard who lacks the self-belief that he can quit drinking and revive the cricketing skills in him. All the contrasting attitudes of the characters make the film realistic.

Naseeruddin Shah as Mohit

The story is excellent. From the beginning, it is about what all Iqbal does to get into the squad. Few scenes are very inspiring, like the scenes where Iqbal goes everyday to the field to make Mohit sober so that he can teach him. Whenever Iqbal asks Mohit to coach him, Mohit just responds in a drunken haze; Talpade’s expression will make you feel sorry for Iqbal, and the acting of Shah is such that you will also hate Mohit for being such a useless person. The cricket matches are not shown so well, and I would have liked it if few interesting scenes from the matches were shown. However, the scenes where Iqbal practices are shown superbly. I am not sure whether they consulted a cricket coach about the training methods, but the ones shown in the film are quite useful for bowlers.

The acting is the main thing that drives the film. Talpade has no dialogues, so it is only his facial expressions of happiness, sadness and inspiration that make his acting great. The scenes where his father burns his shoes, the scene where he bowls for the first time, and the scenes where he tries to get Mohit to coach him are all made better by his acting. When his dad burns his shoes, his expression is such that you will also feel like crying. Shah’s acting is brilliant as well, but I liked Talpade’s acting better. Shweta Prasad, who plays Iqbal’s sister, has acted as superbly as the others.

Kapil Dev in a cameo appearance 

To conclude, Nagesh Kukunoor’s Iqbal is film that provides wholesome entertainment. Those who love cricket, those who love good acting, and those who like a good film will all be satisfied. Brilliant acting by the lead actors, a good and a very inspiring story, and the realistic portrayal of events make this one of the best films based on cricket that I have seen.

My rating: 4.5/5