Customer Reviews

Iqbal - A Story Above Cricket

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Much like Lance Armstrong's award winning autobiography, 'Iqbal' is not about cricket. It's about a deaf and mute boy's ability to dream and his tenacity to meet the challenges that come with this dream. It's about his courage to defy convention and follow his heart.

The movie focuses around an 18 year-old deaf and mute boy who grows up in a small family in a farming village in South India. His mother and sister are huge cricket fans, but his father detests the sport. Needless to mention the boy grows up with a passion for the sport, and is a great player himself. Except he has never really played. But the thing is he can. He uses his talent to convince others that he's exceptional. He just needs a break, and he tries hard to get that break.

Without delving too much into the technicalities of cricket, the movie does an amazing job of convicing the audience that a person can be exceptional in many ways. Impairment of the senses are annotated with a lot of pity in our society. Iqbal makes a point that impairment or not, hard-work, sincerity and ambition can overcome all deficiencies.

What I love most about the movie is that it doesn't engulf the audience in a morass of unwanted histrionics; it gets to the point and moves right along. There are no Bollywood type songs and dances, but that's because this isn't a conventional Bollywood movie.

Everything said and done, Iqbal is a wonderful feel-good movie. Fantastic performances, good cinematography, decent editing, and a tight plot make for a riveting watch. Watch Iqbal...it's not about cricket.

Shreyas acted well as the role of the boy who cannot speak/listen. He plays the role of Iqbal,18 year old, son of a farmer in a small village somewhere in India. This movie is not a "Black" yet it seems to have all the makings of a winner. We may never see a deaf and mute man play for our cricket yet this film fits the bill.


Nasserudin Shah predicates the role of a drunk; who goes on to coach Iqbal in the film. The role played by Iqbal's sister is substantial to the plot. The film is simple and even though there was no mention of this film anywhere in the award shows and no awards were handed out to Shreyas, the fact remains, it's worth a watch or two.

I've said enough. Enjoy what works for you.