Disclaimer: Fans of films like 'Lagaan', 'Sultan' and 'M.S Dhoni: The Untold Story' should not read this post.
We. at Bollywood, don't quite know how to make a solid sports film. Oh, yes, we did have a 'Chak De! India'. But for most time, our films about sportsmen, both real and fictional, are crammed with every cliche of the genre conceivable- well-muscled leading men who are given the status of superheroes, ladies who serve only as secondary characters and simplistic, unrealistic plots that only aim to glorify and deify the people they are about. There are no convincingly hefty challenges to overcome, no real threats or compelling foes to defeat and everything falls in place for the heroes, as they make their way to the finishing line with ridiculously convenient ease.
Yesterday, I just wrapped up watching 'Senna', Asif Kapadia's marvelous, breathless and emotionally enthralling documentary on Formula 1 legend Ayrton Senna and his tragically short-lived run in the Grand Prix circuits. The feeling is one of both agonising heartbreak and delirious joy- as Kapadia, aided by writer Manish Pandey, edits together thrilling pieces and chunks of actual race and behind-the-scenes footage to help the viewer sneak up close and personal with its subject, almost as we would do with a soaring screen hero in any solid sports drama, and end up rooting for him in the best way possible.
And even as it seems well nigh impossible for Bollywood sports films to be even half as good as 'Senna', or for that matter 'Rocky', 'Raging Bull' and even Ron Howard's 'Rush', there are some cast-iron lessons that our directors should take from this film so that one day they can materialize into at least one genuinely thrilling sports film.
1- Stick To The Facts
Sports films based on actual sportstars end up playing safe, avoiding sticking to facts and intriguing details so that the audiences can hail the legend as merely heroes and not as actual people. One word of advice to directors and writers would be to stick with the facts and details and dive into them recklessly to serve a rich brew of a tale that can be both objective and inspiring.
One of the common complaints that I have heard about 'M.S Dhoni' is that it has consciously avoided the lesser-known yet all very real facts of its subject's life in a bid for whole-hearted hero worship. 'Senna', on the other hand, is a documentary to start with and sticks faithfully to everything that actually happened with Ayrton Senna on the race track and nothing else. Sure, if objective realism is not feasible for mainstream cinema, why not make a pure documentary instead?
2- Make It Believable
Okay, so a sports film should have a hero for whom we will cheer and applaud when the same is out on the field taking down his or her opponents but, guys, why should it be so easy and effortless?
Most of our sports films end up deifying sportstars to such ridiculous limits that they do not even make an attempt to set up compelling stakes for the heroes to face. There are barely any struggle to go through, hardly any challenge to overcome and there are also no incredible personal demons to battle with. 'Senna' brings all of that to the surface- we see our hero through it all- battling with mechanical glitches, inner fears and even race track politics to come out on the top with true, spectacular glory; those scratchy racing scenes have actual tension and drama. And the best part: all this actually happened.
3- Give Us A Worthy Rival
I am looking at you, 'Sultan', 'Lagaan' and the like. To make our cinematic sports heroes look even bigger and more badass, our films end up handing us stock villains- people who are less proficient sportspeople and more of sadistic bullies. All this is done so that the hero goes through the grinder of being tortured senselessly by the said nemesis before the former delivers a convenient sucker punch to get even. And let's not talk about the racial stereotypes our movies present- if it is a lumbering African-American or a snobbish Englishman, he has to be the villain. Sigh.
Ayrton Senna already had a worthy rival in Alain Prost, the shrewd Professor who was coolly enjoying his secure position in the Grand Prix circles. But Kapadia's film portrays him not purely a villain but rather a determined and intelligent competitor and a perfect foil to Senna's reckless brilliance. He is both repulsive and all too real. We will him to take the fall when he tries to thwart the force of his rival's charisma. We are also amazed at the gentlemanly grace with which he takes his defeat.
4- Give Us A Hero For Ages
Casting merely big names does not do the trick, folks. It is all fine with megastars slogging their butts to build and train themselves to deliver the goods but what we really need is a sportstar who is a hero in the real sense- charming, genuinely rousing and totally worth cheering for.
And Ayrton Senna was already something of a legend- a cocky, brash and uncannily brilliant driver who could go out on the circuits, either wet, dry or hostile, with the blistering attitude of a rockstar. Kapadia also explores his other faces- him talking bluntly about the brickbats hurled at him by the veterans, him crying in disbelief after winning a terse race in his home ground, him snuggling up to his parents in mushy vulnerability, him flirting cheekily on TV and him demanding more safety for the drivers on the track. And to top it all, there is that winning smile of a real champion. What is not to like or worth cheering for?
5- It Should Not Always End Happily
Okay, so we love a grand finale at the end of any sports film in which we cheer and shout for our champion to win the fight. But does it always have to be a perfect, idealistically happy climax?
Some of the greatest sports movies of all time - 'Raging Bull', 'Million Dollar Baby' and, yes, 'Senna'- have sad endings which are far from celebratory. However, they are essentially about the ultimate sport itself- life with all its ups, downs and unpredictable outcomes. Kapadia's film ends on a heartbreaking note- as the thrum of Senna's relentless engines are silenced forever in one shocking accident- but it is nevertheless a wonderful and elegant summary of a sportstar's life, his triumphs and failures and his own determination to rise again from the ashes. And through his own odyssey, from bare beginnings to sudden death, we see the game of life unfold with all its bittersweet beauty and grace.
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