4 Football-Themed Bollywood Movies

Bollywood movies are popular all over the world, not just in India, and Bollywood stars are the A-listers in society, regularly appearing in the magazines and gossips sites. In fact, Bollywood is so influential these days, it makes more movies than Hollywood, and more people go and watch Bollywood movies compared to Hollywood blockbusters!

The inspiring stories that focus on music and romance have delighted cinema goers far beyond the shores of India. But musical romances are not the only theme Bollywood directors regularly tackle. There are a few great sports-themed Bollywood movies worth checking out – read on to find out more.

Bhaag, Milkha, Bhaag

This 2013 movie is considered a classic from Bollywood. It is a biopic based on the true story of popular Hindi athlete, Milkha Singh, an Olympic star who was a champion 400m runner. Farhan Akhtar plays Milkha and the film was directed by Rakeysh Omprakash. It was a relatively low-budget production, but it ended up grossing $14 million at the box office. The script was based on an autobiography written by Milkha Singh and his daughter. He sold the film rights for 1 rupee, but a share of the film’s profits was donated to a charitable trust for sports people. The story handles some difficult themes in a very sensitive way, which is why it became box office gold when it was released.

M. S. Dhoni: the Untold Story

Released in 2016, M. S. Dhoni: the Untold Story is a fascinating biopic of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, famous for being the captain of the Indian cricket team. The movie tells the life story of Singh Dhoni, from his boyhood until the success of the 2011 Cricket World Cup. The film was a commercial and critical success, netting $16 million at the box office. For cricket fans, this is definitely one to watch.

Mary Kom

Mary Kom, released in 2014, stars world-famous Bollywood actress, Priyanka Chopra. The story is based on the life of a female boxer called Mary Kom, who became one of the most famous boxers in India. Kom struggled to follow her chosen path thanks to strong disapproval from her father, but she eventually found a coach willing to take her on so she could achieve her dreams of success. Unsurprisingly, the movie has a strong feel-good factor and was a global smash hit at the box office, grossing more money than any previous Bollywood movie with a female star. Leading lady, Chopra, won several awards for her portrayal of Mary Kom, which were much deserved.

Chak De India

Chak De India is another female centric story. Based on the story of shah Rukh Khan, who coached the Indian women’s hockey team, Chak De India is widely considered to be the best movie with a hockey theme. In addition, it has an amazing music soundtrack, which helped propel it to the top of the box office when it was released in 2007. If you want a feel-good story of a loser team that achieves success against all the odds, this movie is for you.

Other sports-themed movies worth checking out include Iqbal, Saala Khadoos, and Mukkabaaz.

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