Awwal Number

This movie was made at a time when cricket was gaining commercial momentum in India. Disputes inside the dressing room were a daily affair. It indirectly also encompassed issues of the day be it Indian Military involvement in Sri Lanka, be it a global cabal of shady figures involved in political scandals. Call it coincidence, barely 2 years later ex-PM Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated by LTTE, which formed the core of this movie's summary and his portrait can be seen in the Minister's office.

There are some who're asking how come Dev Anand, an ex-IPS in the film, got appointed as President of BCCI. Well, KPS Gill was head of the FIH, Dr. Ali Bacher was chairperson of the South African Cricket Board. And Dev Anand did his part fairly well.

Aditya Pancholi was rightly cast as the reigning but spoilt brash batting star who'll definitely remind people of Virat Kohli. Aamir Khan was good as a rookie who becomes a national hero overnight, reminding of Wasim Akram albeit with the bat.

Most importantly, it's fictional yet seems very real. BCCI is called out by its name, so are teams and legends like Sir Don Bradman and Sunil Gavaskar, unlike other recent sporting melodramas which take too much liberty and create a parallel universe altogether.

Songs were out of place, unlike classic Dev Anand movies from the 50s, 60s and 70s. But the plot was comprehensive enough.

A one time watch.