7 sports movies to watch on OTT while you cheer for India at the Olympics

Even though cricket is India’s favourite sport, once the Olympics arrive, people come together to support the athletes. It doesn’t matter then whether they are sports fans or not. All that matters is there are athletes representing the country, at the international level, and they need all our support. With a contingent consisting of more than 125 athletes, India is placing high hopes on this year’s Olympics. While we cheer them on throughout the event, we will need some motivation of our own. Why not watch these sports movies on your OTT platforms and feel inspired by all the Indian athletes who have made India proud at the Olympics?

Here are 9 sports movies to watch on OTT while you support India at the Tokyo Olympics:

#1 Chak De! India

Starting off with a classic, very few in this country wouldn’t have watched this movie yet. Starring Shah Rukh Khan as Kabir Khan, a down-and-out hockey player who decides to coach the Indian women’s hockey team to World Cup triumph. People around the country are still seen quoting various dialogues from this movie and it acts as a great demonstration of the fact that in India, nothing is unachievable. 

Where to watch – Amazon Prime Video

#2 Mary Kom

Known as the Queen of Boxing, MC Mary Kom is a legend in the boxing world, having won the World Championship six times. Not just that, she has also won a bronze medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics. She is the Indian flag bearer at the 2020 Olympics. Naturally, Bollywood made a biopic of her. Starring Priyanka Chopra as the titular character, the movie was directed by Omung Kumar and showed Mary balancing her boxing career along with her family life. 

Where to watch – Netflix

#3 Gold

The story of India’s first gold medal at the Olympics, Gold is about the Indian hockey team which defeated Great Britain post-independence in the hockey final at the 1948 Olympics. It stars Akshay Kumar, Sunny Kaushal and Amit Sadh in the lead and is directed by Reema Kagti. It’s one of the must-watch patriotic movies while you follow the Indian hockey teams’ campaigns at the Tokyo Olympics. 

Where to watch – Amazon Prime Video

#4 Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

One of the best sports movies ever made in India, this is the biopic of the legendary sprinter Milkha Singh who recently passed away

. Starring Farhan Akhtar as the lead actor, it tells the story of Milkha Singh’s beginnings and his eventual landmark achievement where he came close to winning a medal at the 1960 Olympics. If you are a frequent follower of athletics, you must have watched Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. 

Where to watch – Disney+ Hotstar

#5 Saandh Ki Aankh

The latest of sports biopics in India, this movie tells the story of two sharpshooters Chandro and Prakashi Tomar who fought patriarchy at their homes and in society to inspire many other girls to follow their dreams. Taapsee Pannu and Bhumi Pednekar excel in their performances as the two sharpshooters while the movie’s story perfectly drives the message home. 

Where to watch – Zee5

#6 Saala Khadoos

While you might have watched Saala Khadoos for R Madhavan’s excellent performance in it, do take a look at what the movie tries to convey. Portraying a very real image of the politics in Indian sports while also showing that talent can come from any corner, Saala Khadoos, in many ways, is more than a simple story of a coach who is angry with the politics involved in the game (which we have earlier seen in Chak! De India). 

Where to watch – Amazon Prime Video

#7 Dangal

Here’s Dangal – the story of Mahavir Singh Phogat and his daughters Geeta and Babita Kumari who won gold and silver medals for India at the 2010 Commonwealth Games, apart from many more medals later on. Directed by Nitesh Tiwari, the movie was well-received by critics and audiences in India, to the point that it became the highest-grossing Indian film ever. If you haven’t watched this film, there’s a possibility you don’t like Indian cinema.

Where to watch – Netflix

#8 Sarpatta Parambarai

The latest of all sports movies, this Tamil drama stars Arya as a boxer in the 1970s who is caught in the rivalry between two clans in North Chennai. The movie accurately depicts the boxing culture in Chennai of the 1970s and also the underlying politics in it. Originally slated for a theatrical release, this movie was later released on OTT due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Where to watch – Amazon Prime Video