What Is A Sports Film, Really?: Raja Sen

Can a film change how a nation feels about sport? Films like Chak De!India, Lagaan, Raging Bull, Invictus, and Million Dollar Baby didn't just depict sport —they made you feel its hunger, its heartbreak. But are these truly sports films, or something else wearing a jersey? What does a great sports film actually do to the viewer, and by extension, to a culture? To explore this, Shruti is joined by well-known film critic and writer Raja Sen, who has spent over two decades writing about cinema — Bollywood, Hollywood, world cinema, the blockbuster and the barely seen. His work has appeared in Rediff, Mint Lounge, GQ, and Rolling Stone. His first book, The Best Baker in the World, is an adaptation of The Godfather written entirely in limericks. Most recently, he co-wrote the screenplay for R. Balki's thriller Chup: Revenge of the Artist. He's also written for years about Formula One, a lifelong obsession that runs alongside his film criticism — sport and cinema have always coexisted in his world. This is The Curious Human Project, a podcast about sport, health, habits and the hustle to stay human. Listen in! Chapters: • How Schumacher Made Raja a Lifelong F1 Fan • Becoming The First F1 Columnist In India • What Is a Sports Film, Really? • Chak De! India and the Real Power of Sports Cinema • Why Rocky's Real Victory Was Never Winning • Drive to Survive and Sport as Character Study • Sport and the Idea of Pretending at Meaning • Why There Can Never Be a Sachin Tendulkar Movie • The Azharuddin Film and Bollywood's Biggest Cop-Out • Is Indian Cricket Too Dominant to Be Interesting Anymore? • Would Raja Sen Ever Write a Sports Film? Films, Series and Documentary References: • Chak De! India • Lagaan • Raging Bull • Invictus • Million Dollar Baby • In the Realm of Perfection (John McEnroe documentary) • Challengers • What Do We Look At When We Look At The Sky? • Rocky • Rush • Drive to Survive (F1 series) • Offside • Brittany Runs a Marathon • Sarpatta Parambarai • Mr. & Mrs. 55 • Chariots of Fire • M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story • Azhar • Dangal • Mukkabaaz • The Last Dance (Michael Jordan documentary) • Jo Jeeta Wohi Sikandar • The Hand of God • Rafa (Rafael Nadal documentary) • Heated Rivalry (Hockey series) • Brockmire (American TV series)