This Subhash Ghai venture is a fine movie - and I emphasise the fine - and no, before u ask - u dont need to be a cricket fan to enjoy it. Nagesh Kukunoor has done a great job. My applauses to him. One of the few movies where the movie was as good as the trailors promised it to be.
When the movie started, I saw two scenes that resembled the themes from the Mahabharatas...one with iqbals mum watching cricket on T.V while shes pregnant with him and whispering to her baby - ’dekh kapil ka kamaal’. And the other with a grown-up Iqbal hiding behind buffaloes to eavesdrop on the coach at the cricketing club giving pointers to his students. Both these scenes come soon after the movie commences and I wondered if Iqbal would be another movie with all the usual bollywood masalas...
But the movie is pleasantly different and mellowed-down. Iqbal transcends way beyond the normal bounds of a movie that tells a story of a sport or a sportsman. It is said with a candid yet aesthetic feel that is sure to soothe your senses.
Iqbal tells the story of a talented deaf-and-dumb lad from a poor farming family, who only dreams cricket every waking moment of his life. And unlike many dreamers (myself included:), he also works hard for his dreams in whatever ways he can. Whenever hes out grazing his buffaloes (whom hes named after cricketers), he spends hours honing his bowling skills.
But he is still unaware about the finer aspects of the art of bowling - in and outswingers, field placements, line and length...he lacks a coach who can teach him these intricacies. Though he manages to get into a cricket coaching club, he finds himself out of the club pretty soon, for no fault of his.
Desperate and at the verge of giving up his dream, he accidently realises that Naseeruddin Shah, the local drunkard had played for Ranji a long time ago. He approaches Naseeruddin with the hope that he might coach him. But Shah is stubborn about not doing two things in life - giving up drinking and coaching Iqbal.
How the two get along with each other, how Shah ends up doing both things he was so reluctant to do, how they strike success in the end is what the story is all about.
The casting for the movie is near perfect - Shreyas Talpade as Iqbal is a revelation. He has done his role to perfection. No overacting, no underacting - I think our so called bollywood stars would do well to take a look at this new-comers character execution to learn a thing or two.
Shah as the coach - what do I say? We are all just blessed to have him in our film industry. Yateen Karyekar as the father who has a bitter-sweet relation with his son has done a fantastic job as has Pratiksha Lonkar as iqbals ever-loving mum. As for Shweta Prasad, Iqbals adorable and doting younger sister - I wish I had one like her :)
Let me assure you - there are no sensational twists in the movie or last minute thrills.You wont find the captain of the batting team kidnap Iqbal’s family and ransom the bowler to bowl lose deliveries to the batsmen lest his family is harmed.
There is nothing to keep u on the edge of the seat - but let me also assure you that you will not fall asleep in it. There is light-hearted humour and soft emotions - nothing where an invisible hand is holding an imaginary gun to your head and commanding you to laugh or cry.
Another thing I liked was the background score. The song aashayeen is inspiring. Sukhwinder Singh has done a good job. Profound fare.
It is not an awe-inspiring movie - but then I guess the makers also didnt intend it to be one. You will not jump up from the chair as soon as the movie is over, run upstairs and start sweating it out - inspired to achieve your dreams just like iqbal. You would rather, most probably, snuggle a bit deeper into your bean bag and savour the lingering feel of the movie while it lasts.
Because in the end Iqbal will bowl you over - just like he did the batsmen in the movie.