From Anushka Sharma to Priyanka Chopra, 5 biopics on female athletes you shouldn’t miss
In a country that produces humongous talents, it rare that film makers don’t grab the topic and make a movie out of it. Hence, here are five best biopics on Indian female athletes every made in Hindi belt.
Bollywood actor and working mother Anushka Sharma has resumed the prep for the biopic of India’s leading female wicket taker, Jhulan Goswami. The movie is titled Chakda Xpress and Anushka Sharma will be making a comeback in films with this project after four years.
In a country that produces humongous talents, it rare that film makers don’t grab the topic and make a movie out of it. Hence, here are five best biopics on Indian female athletes every made in Hindi belt.
Mary Kom
Just as the name suggests Mary Kom is the 2014 biopic based on the real-life incidents of boxer and Olympic medallist Mary Kom. Global star Priyanka Chopra Jonas played the role of Mary in the film marking her Hindi playback singing debut. She provided her vocals for the song Chaoro.
Darshan Kumar made his Bollywood debut with Mary Kom. He played the role of Mary’s husband in the film. Directed by Omung Kumar and Produced by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Viacom 18 Studios, the movie was presented at the 2014 Toronto Film Festival. Mary Kom also won the National Award for best Film. The movie is now available on Netflix.
Sala Khadoos
Both the Tamil and Hindi version titled as Irudhi Suttru and Sala Khadoos, respectively was released on silver screen on January 29, 2016. The sports drama was the real-life representation of coach Mohammed Ali Qama and his student. Ali was the first Indian to win a gold medal in boxing at the Commonwealth Games in 2012.
Moreover, real-life boxer Ritika Singh played the character of the student and R Madhavan played the role of the badass coach. Ritika Singh won the National Award for Special Mention for Irudhi Suttru. Furthermore, the film also won three Filmfare awards. The movie is available on Amazon Prime Videos.
Dangal
The movie which needs no introduction is out next from this list. Based on the real-life incidents of Geeta Kumari and Babita Phogat, the Aamir Khan starrer was a must-watched and till date is the second most watched film of India. Not only the Nitesh Tiwari directorial not only minted 1200 crores but also marked the Bollywood Debut of Fatima Sana Sheikh and Sanaya Malhotra.
The National award-winning movie won several acclaims within and outside of the country. Dangal was a perfect mix of emotions, drama and wrestling. Aamir Khan showed his brilliant acting skills, yet again in the role of Mahavir Singh Phogat. The wrestling bases sports-drama is available on Netflix.
Rashmi Rocket
Tapsee Pannu starrer 2021 film, Rashmi Rocket was the Hindi biopic of Indian spinter Dutee Chand, who was asked not to participate in national tournaments after being diagnosed with high testosterone levels. Gender verification has been a controversial subject in sports, and Akarsh Khurana dealt with this critical subject brilliantly.
The movie also threw light on how these tests are arbitrary and psychologically damaging for athletes. Tapsee Pannu did a great job in the film and her transformation as Rashmi was worth applauding. The movie is available on Zee5 app.
Chakda Xpress
The most recent addition to this list is Anusha Sharma starrer Chadka Xpress. The movie is a real-life adaptation of Indian former captain and the highest wicket taker in the history of Women cricket, Jhulan Goswami.
Being directed by Prosit Roy, the movie will deal with the journey of Jhulan as she kept moving forward despite facing several problems like misogynistic politics. The film will release on Netflix, by the end of this year.
Sunny Deol’s Border 2 continues its impressive run at the domestic box office, edging closer to the Rs 300 crore mark by the end of its second week. The war drama, which hit theatres on January 23, has shown consistent collections since its release.
On its second Tuesday, the film earned an estimated Rs 5.75 crore, taking its total earnings to Rs 286.75 crore after 12 days.
Border 2 box office performance so far
The film matched its Monday earnings on February 3, adding Rs 5.75 crore to its tally. With this, Border 2 has managed to hold firm on weekdays, a sign of sustained audience interest.
The film delivered a robust opening week, collecting Rs 224.25 crore, supported by the extended Republic Day holiday period.
Second weekend boosts collections
The second weekend provided another lift to the film’s box office numbers. Friday saw collections of Rs 10.75 crore, followed by Rs 17.75 crore on Saturday. Sunday emerged as the strongest day of the weekend, contributing Rs 22.5 crore to the total.
Monday, which coincided with Republic Day, turned out to be the film’s highest single-day performer so far, with earnings touching Rs 59 crore.
With its current pace, Border 2 has already surpassed the opening weekend figures of Ranveer Singh’s Dhurandhar.
Border 2 review
In a review, film critic Saibal Chatterjee noted that Border 2 succeeds in highlighting the courage of soldiers while also touching upon their emotional vulnerabilities. The film explores themes of separation, loss, fear, and hope, presenting moments of heroism amid personal struggles.
About the film
Directed by Anurag Singh, Border 2 features an ensemble cast including Sunny Deol, Diljit Dosanjh, Varun Dhawan, and Ahan Shetty. Set against the backdrop of the 1971 India-Pakistan war, the film is positioned as a spiritual successor to the 1997 classic Border.
Dhurandhar has finally made its much-awaited debut on Netflix, just days after the Ranveer Singh-starrer completed a blockbuster theatrical run across India. While the film crossed Rs 1,000 crore domestically and went past Rs 1,300 crore worldwide, its OTT release has triggered confusion and criticism over its shorter runtime.
Several viewers took to social media early Friday, claiming that a “censored” version of Dhurandhar was streaming on Netflix. The runtime displayed on the platform is 3 hours and 25 minutes, nearly nine minutes shorter than the film’s originally reported duration of 3 hours and 34 minutes.
What caused the runtime difference
The confusion stems from changes made after the film’s initial theatrical release. According to the revised censor certificate, Dhurandhar now has an approved runtime of 3 hours 28 minutes and 56 seconds. This updated version replaced the earlier cut in cinemas starting January 1.
The revision followed directions to mute two specific words and one dialogue referring to the Baloch community. These changes were implemented without removing scenes, resulting in a marginally shorter runtime.
What viewers noticed on Netflix
Audiences streaming the film on Netflix observed muted portions during a scene involving Sanjay Dutt’s character, SP Chaudhary Aslam. In the original version, the dialogue included a direct reference to a former Baloch police partner. In the revised cut now available on Netflix, those references are muted, while English subtitles offer a generalised translation without naming the community.
Some viewers also pointed out that the film appears to play slightly faster on the platform, contributing to the perception that content had been trimmed.
Is Netflix streaming a censored cut
Industry insiders have clarified that Netflix is carrying the final theatrical version approved by the authorities. As an OTT distributor, the platform uploads films exactly as provided by the producers. The version streaming online is the same revised cut that has been screening in theatres since January.
Importantly, the film’s intense and graphic depiction of violence remains unchanged in the OTT version.
In short, Dhurandhar on Netflix is not a specially edited or censored cut for streaming. It is the updated theatrical version, adjusted for muted dialogue and presented with a slightly faster frame rate.
Following its OTT release, audiences can now look ahead to the sequel, Dhurandhar: The Revenge, scheduled for release on March 19, 2026.
Border 2 has made an impressive start at the Indian box office, collecting Rs 30 crore on its opening day. The war drama, headlined by Sunny Deol along with Varun Dhawan, Ahan Shetty and Diljit Dosanjh, opened to largely positive audience and critical response.
According to industry tracking data, the film recorded an overall occupancy of 32.1 per cent on day one. Night shows contributed the highest footfall, indicating strong word-of-mouth towards the end of the day.
Strong show count and urban traction
Border 2 was screened in nearly 6,000 shows across the country on its opening day. Major centres reported heavy traction, with over 1,000 shows in Mumbai and more than 1,500 shows across the Delhi-NCR region. Trade sources noted that urban circuits played a key role in pushing the film past the Rs 30 crore mark.
The opening performance places Border 2 ahead of Dhurandhar, which collected Rs 28 crore on its first day despite having a similar nationwide show count. Dhurandhar later saw consistent growth over its opening weekend, a trend that Border 2 is also expected to follow.
Career-best opening for key cast members
Border 2 has emerged as the biggest opening-day film in the careers of Varun Dhawan, Ahan Shetty and Diljit Dosanjh. For Varun Dhawan, the film marks his first box office success since Bhediya in 2023. Ahan Shetty, who made his debut with Tadap in 2021, has registered his first theatrical hit with the war drama.
For Sunny Deol, however, Border 2 does not surpass the opening records of Gadar 2, which remains his highest-grossing film with a worldwide collection of Rs 686 crore.
Dhurandhar sees slowdown after Border 2 release
Meanwhile, Dhurandhar’s box office run has slowed following the release of Border 2. The film reportedly earned under Rs 1 crore for the first time in nearly 50 days, reflecting the impact of the new release.
Directed by Anurag Singh and produced by JP Dutta and Nidhi Dutta, Border 2 also features Sonam Bajwa and Mona Singh in prominent roles.
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