Sports and movies have a divine connection in India. The popularity of the Indian Premier League is a testament to this. The league, which started in 2008, has become one of the biggest sports leagues in India. With celebrity owners like Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta and Shilpa Shetty owning their own team, the league has catapulted itself into a blockbuster success.
Final word, Sports + Movies = A deadly combo
Whenever these two have come together, success is bound to happen. Films such as Chak De! India and Lagaan are prime examples. While Chak De! India’s title track has become the country’s anthem whenever a milestone has been achieved on the ground. Ashutosh Gowarikar’s Lagaan took India to the global stage of the movie industry.
Over the course of over 100+ years of cinema’s existence, India has produced many masterpieces in the sports genre that have made a mark into the hearts of the masses. In this article, we’ve listed 11 such best movies on sports that everyone should watch at least once in their lifetime.
11 Best Movies on Sports every Sports Fan must watch
1. Rocky (1976)
The ultimate sports movie! Rocky, a movie that catapulted Sylvester Stallone to blockbuster success was rejected by many Hollywood Studios. And finally, when it was released, everyone witnessed what a golden opportunity they missed.
Directed by John G. Avildsen, the movie follows Rocky Balboa (Stallone), a poor small-time club fighter and loanshark debt collector from Philadelphia who gets an unlikely shot at the world heavyweight championship held by Apollo Creed (Weathers).
The film, an inspirational one for many teaches us to rise against the odds and always keep fighting till your last breath.
The movie written by Stallone himself, was a massive success; grossing over $225 million against its budget of $100K.
Available on: Prime Video
2. Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar (1992)
Well, who can forget this Bollywood cult classic? Aamir Khan-starrer Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar is a perfect example of the competitive spirit that ensues in inter-collegiate competitions.
Abbreviated as JJWS, the film directed and co-written by Mansoor Khan, follows Sanju (Aamir) who comes of age to avenge his brother’s loss in the cycling competition.
Available on: Zee5
3. Paan Singh Tomar (2012)
Widely considered as late Irrfan Khan’s best on-screen performance, Paan Singh Tomar tells the story of Paan Singh Tomar, a soldier in the Indian Army and seven-time national steeplechase champion, who later became an armed rebel against the system.
Paan Singh Tomar is a film that shows us not just the victory but what happens after it. We keep seeing news of national sports champions being neglected and resorting to odd jobs to make a living.
Irrfan has delivered a tremendous act as Paan Singh Tomar. The film won him the Best Actor award at the 60th National Awards. This is one of the best movies on sports. A must-watch!
Available on: Netflix, Prime Video
4. Moneyball (2011)
Ever wondered how the IPL teams prepare before an IPL auction? Well, this Brad Pitt-starrer is an actual representation of the brainstorming and number-crunching that happens before every auction window.
In this case, we have baseball. In the film, Beane (Brad Pitt) and assistant general manager Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), faced with the franchise’s limited budget for players, build a team of undervalued talent by taking a sophisticated sabermetric approach to scouting and analyzing players.
Moneyball, a critical and commercial success, garnered unanimous praises for its acting and screenplay. The film was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor for Pitt and Best Supporting Actor for Hill.
Available on: Netflix
5. Ford vs Ferrari (2019)
Fans of F1 give me a cheer! After giving the perfect ending for Wolverine in Logan, James Mangold decided to try his hand at F1. So, he decided to make Ford v Ferrari.
The movie featuring Christian Bale and Matt Damon, follows a determined team of American and English engineers and designers, led by automotive designer Carroll Shelby and his English driver, Ken Miles, who Henry Ford II and Lee Iacocca hire to build a race car to defeat the perennially dominant Italian racing team Scuderia Ferrari at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race in France.
The film is an absolute classic. A must-watch for the fans of speeding cars.
Available on: Disney + Hotstar
6. Sarpatta Parambarai (2021)
The only piece of regional cinema worth a dekho in the sports genre. Sarpatta Parambarai, or simply called Sarpatta, is a 2021 Indian Tamil-language period sports action film directed by Pa. Ranjith.
The film set in the 1970s, revolves around a clash between two clans namely Idiyappa Parambarai and Sarpatta Parambarai in North Chennai, which also showcases the boxing culture in the locality and the politics involved in it.
The film, released in the lockdown period, got praises for the setting and realistic portrayal of North Madras and the 1970s boxing culture.
Available on: Prime Video
7. Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001)
India’s best sports film! Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India, is a landmark film that not only revolutionised how sports films must be made but also showed the world the power of Indian cinema.
Under Ashutosh Gowarikar’s direction, Aamir Khan and his team made a film that follows the inhabitants of a village in Central India, who, burdened by high taxes and several years of drought, are challenged by an arrogant British Indian Army officer to a game of cricket as a wager to avoid paying the taxes they owe.
Lagaan’s iconic status is proved by the fact that despite clashing with Gadar: Ek Prem Katha, the film earned more than double its budget at the box office. Also, it is one of the few films to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Available on: YouTube
8. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013)
Milkha Singh, a champion athlete of India received his due recognition and adulation from the Indian diaspora upon the release of his biopic titled Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. Featuring Farhan Akhtar as Milkha Singh, the film was a retelling of the medal-winning champion athlete.
Directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, written by lyricist Prasoon Joshi, the film has some of the most memorable moments and montages in Indian cinema’s history. Also, Farhan Akhtar is a gem of an actor. A must-watch for him.
Available on: Prime Video
9. Dangal (2016)
Aamir and sports = blockbuster guaranteed. After delivering a blockbuster in Lagaan, Aamir Khan made another movie on sports after nearly a decade. This time he chose wrestling.
In 2016, Aamir Khan came with Dangal, a sports biopic. The film stars Khan as Mahavir Singh Phogat, a pehlwani amateur wrestler who trains his daughters Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari to become India’s first world-class female wrestlers.
The film, one of India’s most loved blockbusters, reminds us that in a quest for perfection, or chasing a lifelong dream, constant effort, and hard work never go in vain.
Available on: Prime Video
10. Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Back in 2004, Clint Eastwood came with a seemingly small movie on sports starring Hillary Swank. The film titled Million Dollar Baby follows Margaret “Maggie” Fitzgerald (Swank), an underdog amateur boxer who is helped by an underappreciated boxing trainer (Eastwood) to achieve her dream of becoming a professional.
The film produced by Clint Eastwood on a budget $30 million saw a a multifold return for the production team; grossing $216.8 million worldwide in its box office journey.
Available on: Prime Video
11. Chak De! India (2007)
Imagine this, Team India wins the Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan (is it really happening tho?) and in background, the entire stadium is ecstatic to the tune of Chak De! India song.
The song is synonymous with Team India’s victory at any sporting event. Such is the impact of the movie. The film released in 2007, stars Shah Rukh Khan as Kabir Khan, former captain of the India men’s national field hockey team. After a disastrous loss to Pakistan, Khan is ostracized from the sport owing to religious prejudice. 7 years later in an attempt to redeem himself, he becomes the coach of the Indian national women’s hockey team, with the goal of turning its 16 contentious players into an award-winning team.
The film, through its engrossing and goosebumps-inducing screenplay, gives us many memorable moments in its 150-minute runtime.
Available on: Prime Video
