ashdoc
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One wonders why Azharruddin gave permission to make this film---for even though it purports to remove the stigma of the match fixing scandal from him , it actually once again reminded me of the whole gory saga and the endless speculation about the whole thing in media about 16 years ago . And once again the movie brings back the days when Azhar was accused of match fixing and puts his infamy in focus . At the end of the whole movie some ingenious but ridiculous explanation is given as to why he took money from a bookie and how he was really a patriot after all blah blah blah....does he really expect the public to be such a fool as to buy such explanations....one would have wanted him to not support the making of such a movie and let sleeping dogs sleep and not wake up....
Ravi Shastri and his family are sure to be angry at Shastri's portrayal in the film---he is shown to be a womaniser who has to be saved by Azhar ( who else ) from the scrutiny of his wife when he is philandering with women . It seems Azhar is taking revenge for the fact that Shastri was caught by Manoj Prabhakar on camera in a sting operation in 1999 saying that Azhar is being protected by Dawood Ibrahim , the Pakistan based don . Of course , Ravi was a well known womaniser , but what is shown in the film is too much .
On the other hand , no pot shots are taken at Azhar's real enemy in the cricket world---Sachin Tendulkar , for whom Azhar has expressed open hatred in real life . It seems the makers of the film did not want to explode a further controversy in what is already a film on a controversial topic , because Tendulkar is considered God by some people who would have been doubtlessly irked if his name had been dragged ; the director of the film is no Tanmay Bhat after all....
Kapil Dev also has escaped Azhar's wrath , because he came out in support of him later---or so the film shows...
Manoj Prabhakar obviously has not fared well .
The film shows Azhar's pain at not having been able to play 100 matches for India , something that he had promised his beloved grandfather whom he missed dearly after his death . Reason---the match fixing allegations , for which he was banned . Later half of the movie shows Azhar and his lawyer friend fighting a court case for years to get the ban lifted .
It being a movie , there is ample scope for romance ; both his first wife Naureen ( played by Prachi Desai ) and second wife Sangeeta Bijlani ( played by Nargis Fakri ) are shown . Prachi Desai acts well ; Nargis is horrible . Azhar is plainly unapologetic about leaving his first wife for his second ; the movie shows him openly declaring his affection for Sangeeta on live television without caring for the pain and hurt it would cause to Naureen .
So does Azhar manage to get the ban lifted by court ?
And does he manage to get his named cleared in the eyes of the public by means of the film ?
Watch the movie to answer to the second question for yourself , for the answer to the first can be found by simple google search .
The movie is clearly Azhar's version of the story , for it leaves out his perfidies like his claiming that he was targeted for match fixing allegations because he belonged to the minority community . Eemraan Hashmi has tried his best to act like Azharuddin , and has mastered his various mannerisms well . But he sounds too confident compared to the shy person he was supposed to portray .
Music is decent , and photography is okay . The film does not bore you and keeps you engaged throughout . But it focuses on the match fixing scandal and hardly shows the otherwise glorious cricketing exploits of it's leading character .
Verdict---okay .
Two and a half stars .
Ravi Shastri and his family are sure to be angry at Shastri's portrayal in the film---he is shown to be a womaniser who has to be saved by Azhar ( who else ) from the scrutiny of his wife when he is philandering with women . It seems Azhar is taking revenge for the fact that Shastri was caught by Manoj Prabhakar on camera in a sting operation in 1999 saying that Azhar is being protected by Dawood Ibrahim , the Pakistan based don . Of course , Ravi was a well known womaniser , but what is shown in the film is too much .
On the other hand , no pot shots are taken at Azhar's real enemy in the cricket world---Sachin Tendulkar , for whom Azhar has expressed open hatred in real life . It seems the makers of the film did not want to explode a further controversy in what is already a film on a controversial topic , because Tendulkar is considered God by some people who would have been doubtlessly irked if his name had been dragged ; the director of the film is no Tanmay Bhat after all....
Kapil Dev also has escaped Azhar's wrath , because he came out in support of him later---or so the film shows...
Manoj Prabhakar obviously has not fared well .
The film shows Azhar's pain at not having been able to play 100 matches for India , something that he had promised his beloved grandfather whom he missed dearly after his death . Reason---the match fixing allegations , for which he was banned . Later half of the movie shows Azhar and his lawyer friend fighting a court case for years to get the ban lifted .
It being a movie , there is ample scope for romance ; both his first wife Naureen ( played by Prachi Desai ) and second wife Sangeeta Bijlani ( played by Nargis Fakri ) are shown . Prachi Desai acts well ; Nargis is horrible . Azhar is plainly unapologetic about leaving his first wife for his second ; the movie shows him openly declaring his affection for Sangeeta on live television without caring for the pain and hurt it would cause to Naureen .
So does Azhar manage to get the ban lifted by court ?
And does he manage to get his named cleared in the eyes of the public by means of the film ?
Watch the movie to answer to the second question for yourself , for the answer to the first can be found by simple google search .
The movie is clearly Azhar's version of the story , for it leaves out his perfidies like his claiming that he was targeted for match fixing allegations because he belonged to the minority community . Eemraan Hashmi has tried his best to act like Azharuddin , and has mastered his various mannerisms well . But he sounds too confident compared to the shy person he was supposed to portray .
Music is decent , and photography is okay . The film does not bore you and keeps you engaged throughout . But it focuses on the match fixing scandal and hardly shows the otherwise glorious cricketing exploits of it's leading character .
Verdict---okay .
Two and a half stars .
