Oct 25, 2016 02:58 PM
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So the massively awaited trailer of MS Dhoni’s biopic finally dropped and it has really given us goose-bumps. In many ways MS Dhoni is a trail-blazer, the likes of which we’ve never seen in Indian sports. For starters, he managed to reach the very top without backing, despite not belonging to any of the powerful lobbies in cricket. Add to that the fact that he had the most un-Indian demeanour of Indian sportsmen, the ice-cold nerves which never betray pressure in the most intense situations means that MS Dhoni is a sportsman unlike any other.
Here are three reasons we absolutely loved the trailer:
Sushant really looks convincing as MS Dhoni
Sports biopics are always tricky because you’ve to portray a person who actually existed in flesh and blood. It can go wrong horribly, like we saw in Azhar but it can work too like Farhan Akhtar’s portrayal of Milkha Singh. But it’s even more trickier when you have to portray someone who is still very fresh in memory, but Sushant manages to nail Dhoni’s mannerisms. He talks like Dhoni with that delightful Bihari twang that was present in the early years and also looks like MSD, particularly when he's playing his signature helicopter shot. He also looks exactly like MSD did in his younger years with that god-awful long hairstyle which became extremely popular. Add to the fact that Sushant always looks comfortable playing cricket on the big screen(Kai Po Che) and it’s hard to think of anyone else in the industry who could’ve pulled this off.
There’s a hint of the Machiavellian in this Dhoni
One of the problems with sports biopics, and movies in general is that we tend to dumb down the narrative too much. Everything becomes black and white, good and evil, and we tend to whitewash our hero’s stories. This is a problem that has existed from the days of yore, and even the Mahabharata suffered because of this when subsequent versions tried to whitewash the Pandavas’ or Krishna’s actions to make them appear ‘good’ in keeping with the morality of their times. This often results in poorer storytelling as we saw in Azhar where Mohammed Azharuddin’s match-fixing was explained in a bizarre manner that wasn’t convincing for anyone.
However, it looks that there’s a little less of that in this movie particularly that scene where it appears that Dhoni is scheming to get rid of seniors from the team. Hopefully, the movie will show us that side of Dhoni, seemingly a place where nerves don’t exist and he’s not afraid to make hard decisions, no matter how displeasing it could be to fans.
It shows the eternal choice between comfort and excellence
An interesting motif in play in the trailer is the choice many of us face in our lives between greatness and comfort. Our basic nature tells us to go for the option that will have the least risks.
In that sense, choosing to become a well-paid TT with job security for life is a far easier choice than chasing dreams to become a cricketer given the sheer statistical impossibility of becoming one.
This dilemma is beautifully played with Anupam Kher’s character demanding that his son study or get a stable job, and the way the family celebrates Dhoni’s job. His father held junior management positions in MECON and you can understand his consternation about his son's unrealistic dreams.
However, if Dhoni’s story is any reminder, the risks might be great but so are the rewards. And you don’t get anything from not trying. Imagine how different the Indian cricket team would’ve been if MS Dhoni had chosen to be a TT. All in all, it’s hard to think of any other modern Indian who evokes as much admiration as MS Dhoni, particularly because he did so without any godfather or lobby.
I had first heard rumours about Dhoni around 1999, when they talked about a player who could single-handedly win matches. I remember my sports teacher lamenting that he'd never get a chance because he was from Bihar, place which isn't particularly on the selectors' radar who prefer players from the bigger cities. No matter what happens in the future, who comes or goes, for millions of Indians, particularly from small towns, Dhoni’s tale will always remain the tale of derring-do. And from the looks of it, it seems like Neeraj Pandey and team have been able to capture that emotion.
