The quadrennial clash between cricket and cinema
A Potpourri of Vestiges Feature
- Murtaza Ali
A Potpourri of Vestiges Feature
People in India are crazy about two things: cinema and cricket. If the latter is our nation’s lifeline, then surely the former forms its DNA. But, of late, I have been observing an anomaly which I am certain can only happen once in four years. No, I am not referring to the leap year phenomenon. Nor, am I alluding to the US presidential elections. Some of you might have guessed it already. Yes, I am referring to the cricket fever that comes in form of the world cup. Ever since the 2015 World Cup got underway, I have been noticing a clear clash between love and passion. As much as people in India love to go out for movies with their friends and family, they just cannot afford to miss the cricket carnival that happens only once every four years. The passion for cricket can sometimes get so overwhelming that the daily chores often take the back seat whilst people remain glued to the television screens. At times, the intensity can get so high that people even forget about eating. No one wants to leave his/her seat until the very last ball, let aside cooking… and when India wins the euphoria momentarily ends up satiating the hunger.
Eating pizza and watching cricket often go hand in hand. I, for one, often get tired eating pizza. Be it office, home or an outing, everyone always orders the pizza. But, why is it always the pizza? Well, it’s anybody’s guess. Placing an order for pizza is a cinch and its delivery is quite reliable. During the last week’s India-Pakistan World Cup match, I decided to break the chain. Instead of ordering the routine pizza, I decided to surprise my folks by placing an online order for some mouthwatering Chinese and Continental dishes. Luckily, the delivery was seamless and the food tasted excellent. Certainly, my folks enjoyed every bit of it. It was the perfect icing on the cake after India thrashed Pakistan for the sixth consecutive time in World Cup cricket.
I am hoping to surprise my folks once again this weekend. Maybe this time around I will be ordering some Mughlai food. After a very hectic week, I can finally relax at home and enjoy the cricket matches that are lined up. The highly anticipated match between India and South Africa will take place at the world renowned Melbourne Cricket Ground which has a capacity of around hundred thousand, perhaps second only to the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, India. As so often the case, the tickets for the match got sold in a jiffy. So one can expect the stadium to oozing with blue, given the South African supporters would find themselves highly outnumbered. I myself decided to catch Sriram Raghavan’s Badlapur today itself instead of waiting for Sunday as I didn’t want to bother myself with any other thing but the cricket match. After having watched the film, I can safely that that Raghavan and team have done a commendable job and that the film deserves to be watched in the theatre, especially if you consider yourself a serious viewer. As much as I anticipate another Indian win, I hope the cricket fever doesn't mar Badlapur’s prospects at the box-office.
- Murtaza Ali
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Here in the US no one's screening the World Cup matches -- the best I can do is follow the commentary on Cricinfo. This is a bit galling, but it *does* have the advantage that I can get some work done, watch a few movies, etc.!
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear that... but you can always try out the online streaming options!
DeleteThere aren't any here, alas.
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