Shabaash Mithu released: Here is a list of ten Bollywood sports biopics

Taapsee Pannu starrer Shabaash Mithu finally hit the big screens on Friday. Directed by Srijit Mukherji, the film revolves around the life and the journey of former Indian women's cricket team captain Mithali Raj. According to news18.com, the film tries to highlight too many issues- women’s empowerment, the shoddy treatment of female cricketers by government bodies, how ignorant most Indians are about the women’s cricket team, the difficulty women have in balancing personal and professional lives and, of course, the call to patriotism that runs through the film.

Mithali Raj's biopic is not the first of its kind; given that Bollywood has time and again honoured sports personalities and their contributions, her story is certainly different from others. The movie, however, highlights how a Bharatnatyam enthusiast also loves to play cricket but has to do it secretly.

As we wait for more reviews and a box office collection of Shabaash Mithu, here is a look at 10 sports biopics: 

Paan Singh Tomar

Released in 2012, Paan Singh Tomar was directed by Tigmanshu Dhulia, starring the late Irrfan Khan and Nawazuddin Siddiqui in the lead roles. The film revolves around the life of Paan Singh Tomar, an athlete who won gold medals at the Indian National Games seven times in a row and is forced to take up the life of a dacoit after a family dispute. The film's box office collection was around Rs 20.18 crore. Under Tigmanshu Dhulia's guidance, Irrfan Khan carried the movie on his shoulders, and the duo received excellent reviews for their collaboration.

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

Considered a traditional sports biopic, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, was released in 2013. Revolving around the life of athlete Milkha Singh, it is a known fact that Milkha Singh gave away the rights of his story for only one rupee to the makers. Farhan Akhtar essayed the role of Milkha Singh and tried to capture his trauma and struggles. The film made huge noise at the box office and broke many records by collecting Rs 201 cr worldwide. 

Mary Kom

Priyanka Chopra Jonas starrer Mary Kom was released in 2014 and was directed by Omung Kumar. The film landed in massive controversy ever since the visuals of Priyanka Chopra playing Mary Kom's role were released. While many believe that a Manipuri descent actor should have played the role, the film managed to garner great reviews and collected Rs 86.19 crore at the box office.

Azhar

Azhar revolved around the life of cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin, whose career began to tumble after match-fixing accusations. Bollywood actor Emraan Hashmi played Mohammad Azharuddin. The film looked unbelievable, with more fictional elements coming into play. However, Azhar still managed to mint Rs 56.69 cr in its overall box office collection.

MS Dhoni: The Untold Story

Directed by Neeraj Pandey, MS Dhoni's biopic was a highly anticipated movie. However, the movie became an extended advertisement for Team India's celebrated captain MS Dhoni. While the film does highlight Dhoni's struggle and his journey as the captain of Team India, it failed to uncover any controversies from his career as a cricketer. Sushant Singh Rajput did a fine job of becoming Dhoni and impressed the audience with his stellar acting. The film earned an estimate of Rs 216 cr at the box office.

Dangal

Aamir Khan starrer Dangal was one of the most popular sports biopics. Released in 2016, the film followed the story of the Phogat sisters, played by newcomers Sanya Malhotra and Fatima Sana Shaikh. The film received an overwhelming response at the box office and collected around Rs 2,024 cr. The film did a great job explaining the sport of wrestling while providing an engaging narrative of the father-daughter story. 

Soorma

Diljit Singh starrer Soorma revolves around the life of hockey player Sandeep Singh. Released in 2018, Sandeep Singh's story could have left viewers open-mouthed. Diljit's convincing and impressive performance certainly garnered a lot of praise, which Angad Bedi ably supported. The film minted Rs 48 crore at the box office.

Gold

Released in 2018, Gold featured Akshay Kumar in the titular role of Tapan Das, the manager of the Indian Hockey team, who faces several obstacles post Independence as he prepares his team for the upcoming Olympics. The film earned Rs 154.43 cr at the box office.

Saand Ki Aankh

Stand Ki Aankh was the story of two sharpshooters from Haryana, Chandro and Prakashi Tomar. The film was released in 2019 and featured Bhumi Pednekar and Taapsee Pannu in the titular roles. Even with a compelling plot, the film only earned an estimated Rs 30.7 cr.

Saina

Featuring the life of ace badminton player Saina Nehwal, the film Saina was released in 2021, starring Parineeti Chopra in the lead role. Directed by Amole Gupte, the film follows the highs and lows of the former World No.1, India's ace shuttler, Saina Nehwal. The film failed to woo the audience and earned only Rs 1.51 crore at the box office.