It is said that only cinema, cricket, and sex are sold in this country. These days, the ‘World Cricket Cup’ is going on in India. The final match will be held in Ahmedabad, Gujarat on 19th November, where it will be decided which country’s cricket team wins the ‘World Cricket Cup’. The game of cricket is one of the most popular sports in the whole world. But till now whenever any film or television serial has been made on cricket or any cricketer, it has failed. Even today people are not able to understand the reasons for this. In our opinion, in all the cricket-based films or serials made till now, people have forgotten the craft of cinema. Every art has its own craft. When a viewer watches a cricket match, he enjoys it as usual, but while watching a movie, he enjoys it in a different way. To date, no filmmaker has been able to understand this difference. For this reason, the film ’83’ made on the World Cup winning team was also completely rejected by the people. This situation is not only in India but in the whole world.

Still, a lot has been done about cricket…but there are very few cricket-themed films and mini-series that were made. Documentaries were also made, but they too did not find viewers.

Documentaries made so far on the game ‘Cricket’:

Till now, a total of 19 documentaries based on cricket have been made all over the world, but only one documentary ‘Sachin a Billion Dreams’ was made in India in 2017.

List of Documents:

1. First of all, in 1897, a documentary was made in Australia with the title “Prince Ranjit Singhji practicing batting in the Net”.
2. In a 1976 documentary called ‘Trobriand Cricket’, a simple response to colonialism was talked about. It was made jointly by Australia and Papua New Guinea.
3. Australian Cricket Collection (Cricket History Series) (2002-2006) was created in Australia itself and was divided into four parts: Cricket in the 50s: Exploring New Frontiers (2002-2006), Cricket in the 60s: Changes. Windows (2002–2006), Cricket in the 70s: The Chappell Era (2002–2006), and Cricket in the 80s: Rookies, Rebels and Renaissance (2002–2006)
4. No cricket in England-2004: The Basil de Oliveira Conspiracy
5. Canada: Cricket and the Meaning of Life in 2005
6. Ireland: 2008 – Breaking Boundaries
7. UK and Afghanistan: 2010- Out of the Ashes
8. UK: 2010- Fire in Babylon
9. UK: 2011-From the Ashes
10. Canada: 2012 – Cricket Nation 11- Canada: 2015- Cricket and Park X: A Love Story
11. USA and India: 2014- Beyond All Boundaries
12. UK: 2015-Death of a Gentleman
13. India: 2017 – Sachin: A Billion Dreams
14. Australia: 2020 – The Test (2020)

Films made on cricket all over the world:

The Final Test (1953) (UK)

The Shout (1978) (UK)

Outside Edge (1982) (UK)

Pa’tang, Yang, Kipperbang (1982) (UK)

Arthur’s Hallowed Ground (1984) (UK)

Playing Away (1987) (UK)

Number One (1990) (India)

Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India (2001) (India)

I Love You Da (2002) (India)

Stumped (2003) (India)

Wondrous Oblivion (2003) (UK)

Iqbal (2005) (India)

Chennai 600028 (2007) (India)

Chain Coolie’s Main Coolie (2007) (India)

Say Salaam India (2007) (India)

Hit for Six (2009) (Barbados)

Mirabai Not Out (2008) (India)

Jannat (2008) (India)

Hansi (2008) (South Africa)

I Know How Many Runs You Scored Last Summer (2008) (Australia)

Victory (2009) (India)

World Cup 2011 (2009) (India)

99 (2009) (India)

Heart says Harippa! (2009) (India)

Le Chhakka (2010) (India)

Patiala House (2011) (India)

Sinhavalokanaya (2011) (Sri Lanka)

Tangiwai (2011) (New Zealand)

Golconda High School (2011) (India)

Potta Potti (2011) (India)

Dhoni (2012) (India)

Ferrari Ride (2012) (India)

Main Hoon Shahid Afridi (2013) (Pakistan)

1983 (2014) (India)

Jeeva (2014) (India)

Bangalore 560023 (2015) (India)

Azhar (2016) (India)

M / s. Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016) (India)

Chennai 600028 II (2016) (India)

22 Yards (2018) (India)

Kana (2018) (India)

The Zoya Factor (2019) (India)

Jersey (2019) (India)

Majili (2019) (India)

83 (2021) (India)

Who is Praveen Tambe? (2022) (India)

Jersey (2022) (India)

Well done Mithu (2022) (India)

Kaaichi Limbu (2023) (India)

Ghoomar (2023) (India),

800 (2023) (India)

TV serials made till now:

The Magnificent Six and a Half – Episode: It’s Not Cricket (1969) (UK)

Dad’s Army – Episode 4.10: The Test (1970) (UK)

All Creatures Great and Small – Episode 2.9: The Name of the Game (1978) (UK)

Doctor Who – Black Orchid (1982) (UK)

Bodyline: It’s Not Just Cricket (1984) (Australia)

Ever Decreasing Circles – Episode 2.2: The Cricket Match (1984) (UK)

Malgudi Days – Episode: Various (1986) (India)

Inspector Morse – Episode: Betrayed by Flight (1989) (UK)

DuckTales – Episode 1.51 – Take Me Out of the Ballgame (Duckworth mistakes baseball for cricket) (1987) (USA)

Grace and Favor – Episode 2.2: “The Cricket Match” (1993) (UK)

Outside Edge (a UK sitcom based on the stage play of the same name) (1994–1996) (UK)

Gower’s Cricket Monthly (1995–1998) (UK)

Champion (1998–1999) (India)

Sports Night – Episode: 1.21 Ten Wickets (1999) (USA)

Midsomer Murders – Episode 2.3: “Dead Man’s Eleven” (1999)

“Last Man Out” (2017) (UK)

Inspector Linley Mysteries – Episode 2.1: Playing for the Ashes (2002) (UK)

An Aussie Goes Barmy (2006) (Australia)

Cricket Star (2006–2007) (India)

World Champion (2007–2008) (India)

Jersey number 10X9, (2007-2008) (India)

Extra Innings T20 (2008–2017) (India)

An Aussie Goes Bolly (2008) (Australia)

Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah (a fictional cricket tournament taking place in the series “Gokuldham Premier League”) (2008–2014) (India)

Empire of Cricket (2009) (UK)

Knights and Angels (2009) (India)

Best of Luck Nikki – Episode 1.3: Narendra Tauji – A Cricket Freak (2011) (India)

Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War (2012) (Australia)

The Suite Life of Karan & Kabir – Episode 1.15: Big Hair and Cricket (2012) (India)

Downton Abbey – Episode 3.8 (2012) (UK)

Suraj: The Rising Star (2012–2013) (India)

HowJatt (2013) (India)

Father Brown (2013 TV series) – Episode 3.5: “The Last Man” (2015) (UK)

Sumit will take over (2015–2016) (India)

Mid Wicket Tales (2015–2016) (India)

Tamanna (2016) (India)

ICC Cricket 360° (2016–present) (USA)

Inside Edge (2017–present) (India)

The Night Watchmen (2018–present) (Australia)

Jio Dhan Dhana Dhan (2018) (India)

Selection Day (2018/2019) (India)

Cricket Fever: Mumbai Indians (2019) (India)

The Roar of the Lion (2019) (India)

Test: A new era for the Australian team (2020) (Australia)

Bando Mein Tha Dum (2022) (India) Kh13,

Barwan Khiladi (2022) (Pakistan)

Inside Story: A Season with Rajasthan Royals (2020) (India)

Sixer (2022) (India)

Indoor Cricket:

Full Toss (2004–2005) (India)

Box Cricket League (2014–2019) (India)

Box Cricket League – Punjab (BCL Punjab) (2016) (India)

Australia

The Paul Hogan Show – Episodes: Multiple (1973–1984)

Neighbors – Episodes: Multiple (1985-)

Anzacs (1985)

Home and Away – Episodes: Multiple (1988-)

The Bounty – (1995 Kinopanorama documentary)

The Dish (2000)

Look Both Ways (2005)

High-5 – Series 11, Episodes 10, 18, and 22, Series 12, Episode 18

Dance Academy – Episode 20: Ballet Fever (2010)

Canada

Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveler (1988)

Road to Avonlea (serial) – Episode 2.2: How Kissing was Discovered (1990)

Seducing Doctor Lewis (“La Grande Seduction”) (2003)

The Grand Seduction (2013) (English-language remake of Seducing Doctor Lewis)

India

Love Marriage (1959)

Masoom (1983)

All Rounder (1984)

Miracle (1992)

Fear (1993)

Hum Aapke Hain Koun (1994)

Pyar Kiya To Darna Kya (1998)

Mission Kashmir (2000)

Chori Chori Chupke Chupke (2001)

Kabhi Khaghushi Kabhi Gham (2001)

Monsoon Wedding (2001)

Priyamana Thozhi (2003)

Will you marry me (2004)

Hat-trick (2005)

Will Keep Searching (2009)

Special 26 (2013)

Kai po che! (2013)

Sachin! Tendulkar Allah (2014)

Happy Bhag Jayegi (2016)

Sairat (2017)

Pakistan

Sadke Tumhare (2014)

United Kingdom

Tom Brown’s School Days (1916)

A Cottage on Dartmoor (1929)

Badger’s Green (1934)

This Is Not Cricket (1937)

The Lady Vanishes (1938)

Goodbye, Mister Chips (1939)

Night Train to Munich (1940)

Badger’s Green (1949)

This Ain’t Cricket (1949)

Three Men in a Boat (1956)

The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)

The Avengers – Episode: Honey for the Prince (1966)

Accident (1967)

Carry On Follow That Camel (1967)

Charge of the Light Brigade (1968)

Oh! What a Sweet War (1969)

Monty Python’s Flying Circus (1969–1974)

The Go-Between (1970)

Tom Brown’s Schooldays (1971)

Love Thy Neighbor (1973)

Fawlty Towers – Episode 1.6 The Germans (1975)

The Shout (1978)

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (1979)

Doctor Who – Episode: Black Orchid (1982)

Chariots of Fire (1981)

Bergerac (1981–1991)

The Young Ones – Episode 2.2: Cash & 2.6: Summer Holiday (1984)

Charters and Caldicott (1985)

Yes, Prime Minister – Episode 1.3: The Smoke Screen (1986)

A Bit of Fry and Laurie (1986–1994)

Hope and Glory (1987)

In Sickness and in Health – Episode 3.6 (1987)

Maurice (1987)

Maintaining presence (1990–1995)

The Crying Game (1992)

Buddha of Suburbia (1993)

Welcome to Zaragoza (1997)

Full Circle with Michael Palin – Episode 4: Cricket in Hanoi (1997)

Midsomer Murders – Episode 8 – Dead Man’s 11 (1999), Episode 112 – Last Man Out (2017)

League of Gentlemen (1999–2002)

Chicken Run (2000)

Da Ali Ji Show (2000)

Bend It Like Beckham (2002)

Bridget Jones: The Age of Reason (2004)

Himalaya (2004) with Michael Palin

Shaun of the Dead (2004)

The Proposal (2005)

Tom Brown’s Schooldays (2005)

Alex Rider: Stormbreaker (2006)

Becoming Jane (2007)

Kingdom TV Series – Episode 2.4 (2008)

Slumdog Millionaire (2008)

St Trinian’s PP: The Legend of Friton’s Gold (2009)

Sherlock Holmes (2009)

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2011)

United States of America

Mary Poppins (1964)

This is Spinal Tap (1984)

The Simpsons – Episodes: Various (1989-)

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990)

King Ralph (1991)

Beach (2000)

Vertical Limit (2000)

The West Wing – Episode 1.22: “What Kind of Day Has It Been?” (2000)

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World (2003)

Finding Neverland (2004)

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005)

Syriana (2005)

Arrested Development – “The Ocean Walker” (2005)

One Good Year (2006)

Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip – Episode 1.4: “The West Coast Delay” (2006)

California (2007)

The Big Bang Theory – Episode 1.8: “The Grasshopper Experiment” (2007)

Darjeeling Limited (2007)

Lost – Episode 4.2: “Confirmed Dead” (2007)

The Deal (2008)

Fool’s Gold (2008)

Frost Nixon (2008)

Something Borrowed (2011)

Safe House (2012)

Family Guy – Episodes: Various (1999-)

Mixed (2014)

Million Dollar Arm (2014)

(Source: Wikipedia)

– Shantiswarup Tripathi