| Iqbal इक़्बाल اقبال |
|
|---|---|
| Directed by | Nagesh Kukunoor |
| Produced by | Subhash Ghai |
| Written by | Nagesh Kukunoor |
| Starring | Shreyas Talpade Naseeruddin Shah Girish Karnad |
| Cinematography | Sudeep Chatterjee |
| Distributed by | Mukta Searchlight Films |
| Release date(s) | 2005 |
| Running time | 162 minutes |
| Language | Hindi/Urdu |
| IMDb profile | |
Iqbal (Hindi: इक़्बाल, Urdu: اقبال) is a 2005 Hindi/Urdu Bollywood film written and directed by Nagesh Kukunoor and was released under Subhash Ghai's new banner, "Mukta Searchlight Films". The story follows a cricket-obsessed deaf-mute boy from a remote Indian village as he aims to overcome his difficulties and become a talented cricketer and fulfil his dream of playing for the India national cricket team.
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Plot synopsis
Iqbal tells the story of Iqbal (Shreyas Talpade), a deaf-mute boy, who dreams of playing cricket for India. However, he is discouraged by his father who thinks that Iqbal's daydreams are a waste of time, and will get him nowhere. Instead, he wants Iqbal to help him tend to the crops and become a farmer like him, which would be a stable profession. Iqbal's sister, Khadija (Swetha Prasad), however, helps him try out for a nearby academy run by Guruji (Girish Karnad), an influential former India captain, who accepts him for his talent. However, when Iqbal has a fight with a rich boy, Kamal, who is also the star of the academy, he is thrown out by Guruji out of fear of Kamal's father, who bankrolls the academy. Iqbal seeks help from the local drunkard, Mohit (Naseeruddin Shah), who was once a great cricketer and persuades him to be his coach. They are able to train in a nearby field, using Iqbal's buffaloes (named after actual members of the Indian cricket team) as fielders. Mohit trains Iqbal and gets him a place on the Andhra Pradesh Ranji Trophy team, despite Iqbal not having any previous cricketing experience. Iqbal plays marvellously for the team, which was initially a weak team, and is soon noticed by the press and cricket selectors alike. However, when the final match of the season pits Iqbal against his nemesis, Kamal, Guruji tries to bribe Iqbal to bowl badly so that the national team scouts at the game would select Kamal for the national cricket team. Iqbal succumbs to his offer, out of concern for his father, who is facing financial difficulties and may lose his lands. Luckily, a sports agent is able to offer him a better deal, and Iqbal bowls with his usual fiery pace and wins the match for his team. He also impresses the onlooking national team selector Kapil Dev (in a special guest role), and wins a place in the national team.
Cast
- Naseeruddin Shah as Mohit
- Girish Karnad as Guruji
- Shreyas Talpade as Iqbal
- Shweta Prasad as Khadija
- Yatin Karyekar as Anwar
- Prateeksha Lonkar as Saida
- Dilip Salgaonkar as Bipin
- Jyoti Joshi as Farida
- Aadarsh Balakrishna as Kamal
- Gururaj Manepalli as Akash
Reception
In a country noted for its love of movies and cricket, it was obvious that a movie that melded the two would succeed. Iqbal was well received by critics and audiences alike, and became the highest grossing low-budget film in the year. Swetha Prasad received universal praise for her role as the caring younger sister of Iqbal. Shah and Yatin Karyekar too received widespread praise for their respective roles.
