- Iqbal, the deaf and mute son of a farmer, has a passion for the game of cricket and seeks the tutelage of a washed-up, alcoholic ex-player.
- India - a Nation obsessed with cricket - and it is not very often one comes across anyone who loathes cricket as much as farmer Anwar Khan, who feels that it is a waste of time watching some grown men playing, not only getting paid, but costing the nation millions of lost work hours. His family, especially his wife, Saida, does not quite agree with him. As a matter of fact, she broke water when watching a cricket match with a TV set perched on a branch of a tree with almost the entire village in attendance. This is how Iqbal was born, followed by the birth of his sister, Khadija. Iqbal, though deaf and dumb, shared his mother's and sister's passion for cricket, he would tend to the buffaloes, who though all female, had been named after male cricketers, including Kapil Dev. While tending to them, he would stop and watch youngsters being trained by the renowned Guruji. When Guruji finds out about Iqbal's interest in the game, he recruits him, but lets him go when a dispute flares up between his top pupil, Kamal, and Iqbal. A disheartened Iqbal finds a new mentor, in the form of alcoholic farmhand, Mohit, who reluctantly decides to tutor Iqbal, so much so that Iqbal qualifies to play in the Andhra Pradesh team for a Ranji trophy match. The match is won, and a way is cleared for Iqbal to find a place in the Indian team. Then all chaos breaks lose when Anwar refuses to let Iqbal indulge anymore in this waste of time, and asks him to go to the farm and help him. But Mohit is able to convince him to change his mind, only to find out that Guruji, who favors his star pupil Kamal, for a place in the Indian cricket team, and will do his utmost to foil any attempt by Mohit to promote Iqbal.—rAjOo (gunwanti@hotmail.com)
- Iqbal (Shreyas Talpade) is a deaf and mute boy (whose mother Saida (Prateeksha Lonkar) was a cricket crazy fanatic. Iqbal was born the year India won the 1983 world cup), who dreams of playing cricket for India. However, he is discouraged by his father Anwar (Yatin Karyekar) who thinks that Iqbal's daydreams are a waste of time. Instead, he wants Iqbal to help him tend to the crops and become a farmer like him, which would be a stable profession. Saida is still supportive of Iqbal. Iqbal asks for 1 yrs time from Anwar, which he allows. Iqbal goes to practice in the fields daily. He shares his lunch with a local drunkard Mohit (Naseeruddin Shah).
Iqbal used to visit a cricket academy (The Kolipad academy) on his way back home, and observe from outside when the coach, Guruji used to train his students in the nets. He used to rely on his sister Khadija to mouth read Guruji and translate that into sign language for him to understand. Khadija (Shweta Prasad), however, helps him try out the academy run by Guruji (Girish Karnad), an influential former India captain, who accepts him for his talent. Saida knows Anwar will never permit this, so decides not to tell him, so Iqbal can pursue his dreams. On his first day, Iqbal is carted all over the park by Guruji's students. Guruji asks Iqbal to deploy his mind and use his bowling as a weapon. Khadija accompanies Iqbal daily so she can translate Guruji's instructions to him
However, when Iqbal competes with a rich boy, Kamal (Adarsh Balakrishna), who is also the star of the academy, he is thrown out by Guruji out of fear of Kamal's father Akash (Gururaj Manepalli), who bankrolls the academy. Kamal had insulted Iqbal and his sister, so Iqbal bounced him, which hit his head and he fell. Guruji knows this is unfair, but tells Iqbal to stop attending the academy.
Iqbal is distraught and thinks this is the end of the road for him. He burns all his cricket stuff, but then he sees photo of Mohit in one of the magazines he was burning. Iqbal seeks help from Mohit, who was once a great cricketer and persuades him to be his coach. Initially Mohit says no, but Iqbal is relentless and pursues him daily till Mohit agrees (Mohit had drunk illicit liquor and was found by Iqbal and taken to hospital, which saved Mohit's life). Khadija is again requested to play as translator, but this time she has to skip school to help Iqbal. Plus she doesn't trust Mohit even one bit. They are able to train in a nearby field, using Iqbal's buffaloes (named after actual members of the Indian cricket team (Kapil, Kumble, Harbhajan, Irfan and Balaji)) as fielders. Mohit finds out that Ranji team for the state will be selected in a month's time. Mohit teaches Iqbal not to try and bowl the batsmen out on every ball, but rather out-think them with one's mind. He teaches Iqbal to decide what to bowl by observing and understanding the batsmen. Mohit also teaches Iqbal his special plays, such as the ChakraVyuh.. When he finds that bare-feet are injuring Iqbal, he buys him a brand new pair of shoes.
Mohit trains Iqbal and gets him a place on the Andhra Pradesh Ranji Trophy team, despite Iqbal not having any previous cricketing experience (he begs the selector to have a look at Iqbal for 10 mins during the lunch break. The selector is impressed, but cannot give Iqbal a place in the state team (to which Kamal is selected). But the selector is a fan of Mohit and gives Iqbal a place on the Andhra team). Anwar finds out and is livid with Saida. He burns Iqbal's shoes and wants him to start work in the fields instead.. Mohit speaks to Anwar and convinces him that Iqbal has the potential to do something extra-ordinary. Anwar is still unmoved. Mohit is not willing to concede defeat and starts training Iqbal for upcoming games at night, hiding the same from Anwar, by erecting a net with floodlights at his ancestral mansion. Finally, Iqbal leaves to play in Ranji trophy without telling Anwar (Khadija had saved his shoes from the fire)
Iqbal plays marvelously for the team, which was a weak team before he joined, and is soon noticed by the press and cricket selectors alike. Iqbal is able to send money home. Soon, Andhra is in the finals. Saida tells Anwar that bank is possessing their land as there was a drought for 3 yrs, and that is not Iqbal's fault. Neither is the mistakes that Anwar made in his business. Saida goes to attend the final. However, when the final match of the season pits Iqbal against his rival, Kamal, Guruji tries to bribe Iqbal (with rs 25 lakhs) to bowl badly so that the national team scouts at the game would select Kamal for the national cricket team. Before that Mohit had met Guruji and recalled how Mohit was a celebrated student of his. But even then Guruji favored some rich kid and denied Mohit his place in the Indian cricket team. Mohit vows not to let the same fate befall Iqbal.
Iqbal succumbs to Guruji's offer, out of concern for his father, who is facing financial difficulties and may lose his lands. Luckily, a sports agent Satish Bhatawdekar (D. Santosh), is able to offer him a better deal (rs 50 lakhs as signing bonus), and Iqbal bowls with his usual fiery pace and wins the match for his team (He had 18 runs to defend with 1 wicket left. Iqbal bowls the ChakraVyuh to Kamal and gets him out before he can win the match for his team) Surprisingly he also impresses the onlooking national team selector Kapil Dev (in a special guest role), and wins a place in the Indian national cricket team.
In the end Iqbal is shown donning the Indian Cricket Team's Blue Jersey and walking in the ground to make his international debut.
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