My admiration for Indian and sport movies
I love movies. I love to watch movies with unique storylines, exceptional storytelling, great casting, and memorable soundtracks. This includes Indian movies (popularly known throughout the world as Bollywood).
Through the years, I have watched a number of Bollywood movies. To name a few: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013), Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015), PK (2014), Dangal (2016), 3 Idiots (2009), Slumdog Millionaire (2008), and Ghajini (2008). Indian flicks are famous for their “insertions” of dance-musical numbers, some of which I find to be quite annoying at times, but not if both song and choreography are amazing. Take for instance, the opening number for Bajrangi Bhaijaan, “Selfie Le Le Re”.
Of the Bollywood flicks I’ve mentioned, two are sports movies: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (track and field) and Dangal (wrestling). (Cricket and wrestling play a minor part of the story in Bajrangi Bhaijaan.)
Sports films are probably the most inspirational of all movies. I’ve also watched a number of sports movies over the years. To name a few: the Mighty Ducks franchise (ice hockey), Rocky franchise (boxing), Million Dollar Baby (2004, boxing), She’s the Man (2006, soccer), Gridiron Gang (2006, football), Remember The Titans (2000, football), Glory Road (2006, basketball), Invictus (2009, rugby), Uncle Drew (2018, basketball), The 6th Man (1997, basketball), Bloodsport (1988, martial arts), The Rookie (2002, baseball), Kickboxer (1989, kickboxing), The Greatest Game Ever Played (2005, golf), and Karate Kid franchise (karate).
There are many sports films I have yet to watch, among them Field of Dreams (1989, baseball), Rudy (1993, football), Chariots of Fire (1981, track and field), Hoosiers (1986, basketball), The Replacements (2000, football), Satoshi: A Move For Tomorrow (2016, shogi), and M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016, cricket).
A sports movie with a great soundtrack
M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story is one of the Bollywood (and) sports movies I must watch. How did I come across the title of this movie? Well, I was watching trailers to Bollywood films on Youtube. At the end of one trailer (to the 2019 movie Sarvam Thaala Mayam, about an Indian Catholic who wanted to be a mridangam player or percussionist), video recommendations appeared, one of them M.S. Dhoni.
M.S. Dhoni tells the life of Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who is one of the greatest players in Indian cricket, along the great Sachin Tendulkar, probably the most famous player in Indian and international cricket. He started to play professional cricket in 2008 and announced his retirement on August 14, 2020. As the captain of the Indian team from 2007 to 2017, he led his country to win the 2007 ICC World Twenty20, the 2010 and 2016 Asia Cups, the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, and 2013 ICC Champions Trophy. The late actor Sushant Singh Rajput played the titular character.
After watching the trailer, I read the movie’s entry on Wikipedia. After a month or so, I listened to the movie’s OST album on Spotify. Track #1 “Besabriyaan” is my current LSS and my third Bollywood LSS track.
“Besabriyaan” means “impatience” in English. I studied the song’s English translation/transliteration and feel that the song’s message and melody resonate and rhyme with the movie’s major themes – chasing our dreams and embracing our vocation – and the aspiring cricketer Dhoni’s perseverance and determination.
Struggles of a frustrated athlete
What has “Besabriyaan” by Amaal Mallik, the OST of M.S. Dhoni, got to do with my life? Plenty! I am a frustrated sportsman.
Back in elementary, high school, and college, I played sports as part of the subjects Edukasyon Pangkatawan at Pangkalusugan (EPP, Health and Physical Education); Music, Arts, Physical Education, and Health (MAPEH); and Physical Education, Health, and Music (PEHM), respectively. I played athletics, basketball, sepak takraw, volleyball, soccer, tennis, table tennis, badminton, karate, chess, and softball.
In school, as you should know, student-athletes get all the glory and girls (or boys), which was one reason I wanted to get picked for varsity teams or play in the intramurals. I was young then and egoistic and I needed attention. Students-athletes, as well as performing arts students, are more popular than the students who win literary, math, and science competitions. They go places too, so they get more attention, more glory, and more girls (or boys).
Even though my schools didn’t have high-standard sports programs, the teachers were serious about selecting the best for the district, division, provincial and regional sports competitions. They looked into the PE classes and intramurals for students with the most potential (to win).
I was young and egoistic back then, but I knew it would be an uphill climb, a tough battle for me to get picked for the school teams. I was young and egoistic back then, but I knew there were classmates and schoolmates who were more built for sports than me – and more handsome (cough, cough), moneyed and well connected in the community and school. (I remember I had to back out of a karate training camp when I was in Grade 3 because my family couldn’t afford the uniform.) I was determined, though.
I love sports but I wonder if sports loved me back when I was still a student. I knew I was healthy enough but I admit I didn’t have much of the physical stamina and endurance required for sports.
I believe I did well in the PE classes but my effort, will power, and determination were not enough. I remember I had the best marks for javelin throw, discus throw, and shot put among college sophomores but I was not selected or invited to try out for the inter-campus competition. Certain times some classmates would mock me for even trying out for the class team.
The teachers knew who could best represent the school in the interschool competitions. They thought I was unfit to compete. They chose to mentor those who were fit to compete – and win.
Whenever I had no luck with sports at schools, I retreated to the literary, math, and science scene. I experienced a different fortune: I got picked for academic teams. I remember leading my class to victory at the math-science Olympiad during high school, winning a district literary competition during my junior year, and leading my team to the semifinals of the college math science Olympiad. I had a couple of solo wins to my name. The farthest I had reached was the regional level.
While winning in the literary, math, and science scene, I still coveted sports glory, so I tried to return to sports whenever I could but to no avail. So, I gave up during the first few days of my last year in college, after failing to qualify for the senior softball team. I even skipped a day’s classes for the tryout. I turned to the literary, math, and science scene for good. I then led a winning quiz bowl team and mentored a school publication.
My ego had subsided, my pride punctured. I had to give up sports because I believe it was all for the best. My time at school was running out (graduation was approaching), so I had to move forward quickly, never mind having wasted years chasing sporting glory. It took me many years to tell myself that I should be doing the things I need to do, not what I want to do.
The final reminder – that I am never meant for sports – came 12 years ago, when my province hosted the regional inter-college sports competition. I had already graduated then and was still applying for work when former schoolmates (underclassmen) invited me to watch the events at my alma mater’s main campus. There, I felt bad and depressed for having never played sports at a competitive level for my former schools.
Playing sports for one’s school is the highest sense of achievement any student could have and being a student-athlete is a badge of honor, a crown. My teachers never saw me fit to wear that crown or fight for the school’s honor. Not every student has the chance to become a student-athlete.
I believe I had the determination and perseverance of a student-athlete. I believe I did my best – my best was never good enough. I was determined but also man enough to know when to give up and move forward.
My perseverance and determination never went wasted, though. I divert my focus and strength to the real sports that is life. I focus on my self-improvement, career, investments, hobbies, relationships, the arts, and all things I can do and should do. I am an athlete in the arena or stadium of life.
What a song to remind me of my struggles as a frustrated student-athlete – and an anthem to remind me of my potential as a fighter in life.
RIP Sushant Singh Rajput
While digging deeper into the topics related to the Indian biographical sports movie M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, I came across news articles and YouTube comments about the death of the lead actor Sushant Singh Rajput. It was said that he took his own life on June 14.
Details leading to his death are shady. Was it suicide or homicide? Were drugs involved? An investigation is on the way. Heads will roll and Bollywood celebrities with drug habits will be exposed.
The death of Sushant Singh Rajput by suicide is one of the three celebrity deaths I have been thinking a lot this year. The first one was the death of Japanese professional wrestler Hana Kimura by suicide on May 23 due to online criticism or cyberbullying.
The second one was the death of Japanese actor Haruma Miura by suicide on July 18. He had been suffering from depression. He wanted to give up acting and planned to return to his province and work as a farmer but his mother told him to hold on to his dreams. He was the lead actor of the live action adaptation of Attack on Titan.
Of all the people to die, why them?
Rest in peace, beautiful souls!
Music and Memories 