An engaging multi-genre film about cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin
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| Azhar (2016) - By Tony D'Souza |
Azhar, directed by Tony D'Souza and written by Rajat Arora, is a
sports biopic based on the life of Indian cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin. Produced
by Balaji Motion Pictures and Sony Pictures Networks, Azhar stars Emraan
Hashmi, Prachi Desai, Nargis Fakhri, Kunaal Roy Kapur, and Lara Dutta in the pivotal
roles. The events in the movie are presented in a nonlinear fashion and from
the perspective of Azharuddin. Just after scoring a century in his 99th
Test Match, Azhar learns that he has been banned for life by the Indian cricket
board on account of the former South African captain Hansie Cronje’s allegations
that Azhar was the one to introduce him to the bookies. Having fallen from
grace, suddenly he finds himself all alone. None of his former teammates are
willing to come out in his support. But, he is hell-bent on regaining his lost prestige.
So, a dejected Azhar requests his reluctant lawyer friend to take up his case. On
the insistence of the lawyer friend after he reluctantly accepts the case, Azhar begins to narrate the larger-than-life tale
of his meteoric rise and unceremonious fall as a celebrity cricketer.
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| Emraan Hashmi as Mohammad Azharuddin in Azhar |
Our Rating: 7.0
IMDb Ratings: 8.0
Genre: Biography | Sport
Cast: Emraan Hashmi, Prachi Desai, Nargis Fakhri
Country: India
Language: Hindi | Urdu
Runtime: 130 min
Azhar proves to be an engaging multi-genre film that seamlessly
blends elements of a sports movie, biopic, and court room drama into one. The
acting is solid all around. Among the support cast, Lara Dutta and Kunaal Roy
Kapur stand out—each playing the part of a lawyer but with contrasting personalities.
While Dutta is feisty and arrogant, Kapur is rather composed and easy-going in
his approach. Together they brilliantly construct the courtroom scenes. Of
course, credit for this must also go to the director and the writer. As for Emraan
Hashmi, it is quite heartening to see push himself out of his comfort zone. For
a change, Hashmi ceases to be the ‘serial kisser’ that he is and painstakingly makes
efforts to essay a complex caricature like Azhar’s, perfecting his mannerisms
to a tee, albeit with the exception of speech and accent. While Nargis Fakhri
is a sight to behold as Azhar’s ravishing muse Sangeeta Bijlani, Prachi Desai manages
to hold her own as the cricketer’s devoted wife.
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| Prachi Desai as Mohammad Azharuddin's first wife Naureen |
As a fictionalized account of the life and times of one of the
most successful Indian cricket captains, Azhar serves as a colorful reminder of
a bygone era of cricket and succeeds in highlighting the passion, euphoria and
madness associated with the sport in a cricket crazy country like India. How
the captain doesn’t merely represent a team of eleven players but a country of
100 crore people. How dearly a victory is cherished. How badly a defeat is regretted.
How a nobody can become a hero overnight. How quickly a hero can become a villain. Azhar
also touches upon the sensitive subject of match-fixing which continues to
plague the game of cricket at different levels. The movie also highlights the insecurity of
modern sportsmen in competitive sports. But, as one would expect from a biopic
of a famous living personality, Azhar lacks objectivity. All it tries to
achieve is vindicate Azhar with little efforts made to show the other side of
the picture.
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| Nargis Fakhri as Mohammad Azharuddin's muse Sangeeta Bijlani in Azhar |
Overall, Azhar, despite its flaws and inconsistencies, proves to
be an engaging cinematic experience. How it succeeds in weaving together
different genres is quite commendable. The movie's real highlight is its nonlinear
narrative constructed using brilliant flashbacks thanks to some topnotch
editing. While the movie doesn’t back down from taking swipes at Azhar's
teammates such as Manoj Prabhakar, Ravi Shastri, Navjot Singh Sidhu and even
Kapil Dev, it strangely eschews from touching upon Azhar’s bitter rivalry with
Sachin Tendulkar or Sangeeta Bijlani’s much-talked about affair with Bollywood superstar
Salman Khan. The movie brings back some fond memories of Mohammad Azharuddin’s decorated career
as a middle-order batsman. It also reflects upon his gradual shift from being a
conservative middle-class Muslim to a celebrity compelled to living a bohemian
lifestyle. Just like Azhar’s career and life, the movie also has its highs and
lows, but there is not a moment in there that can be described as boring. Azhar is a movie that no cricket lover can
afford to miss.
Readers, please feel free to share your views/opinions in the comment box below. As always your insightful comments are highly appreciated!
References:
Azhar (2016) Trailer (YouTube)
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