There’s no doubt about the fact that kabaddi is a thrilling game both to play and watch, not to mention one that attracts fierce loyalties among fans. In fact, it’s surprising that the game hasn’t taken off outside India, although there have been moves to see if it could perhaps be included in the 2024 Olympics.
While there may currently only be a limited chance of success on this front, it has featured in quite a few releases from the Indian film industry, including these three blockbusters. Just be warned that there are some spoilers for these three films ahead.
Badlapur Boys (2014)
The 2014 release from director Shailesh Verma and starring Nishan, this is a film with a very strong social conscience. In it, Nishan plays a character called Vijay, whose rural village has always been in dire need of water for irrigation. As a young boy, he witnesses a tragic scene as his father self-immolates in an attempt to get the authorities to take notice of this vital issue – to no avail. As a young man, he pledges to confront the authorities who he blames for his father’s death and secure irrigation for the village. In a bid to attract publicity, he competes in a high-profile game of kabaddi. But such is his enthusiasm, that he is mortally injured in the game and dies. However, this brings the village’s plight to the attention of the authorities, who make sure the village is never short of water again.
Okkadu (2003)
One only has to look at Indian sports betting hubs such as BettingGuru to see how many online sites now cater for fans of kabaddi and are looking for the best ways to bet on it to realise the full extent of its appeal – and even of its potential to appeal to audiences abroad, too. Chances are that sports betting fans around the world would be indeed interested in putting their money on the sorts of games like those shown in Okkadu – namely, the national championships. These provide an exciting backdrop to the finale of this film, in which Mahesh Babu plays a professional kabaddi player who falls in love with a gangster’s girlfriend, played by Bhumika Chawla. The dramatic denouement sees the player win both the match and the girl.
Kabaddi Once Again (2012)
The third of our titles takes a look at the darker side of the game in which a team heads off to play in England featuring a star player, Shingara Singh played by Varinder Singh Ghuman. As a boy, he was not allowed to play the game by his father but was instead secretly trained by his mother and his aunt. In England, he uncovers a plot by the coach to deliberately lose matches by including weaker players in the team. Choosing honour over his personal safety, he reveals the cheating. And, as retaliation, his legs are broken. Seeing how nobly he has performed, his father relents and approves of his playing, encouraging him to start his own team – which eventually returns to England and wins the Kabaddi World Cup.
All three films have plenty to enjoy, with sporting action, drama and some tragedy too. But, overall, it has to be Okkadu that wins out thanks to the twists and turns to the plot, combined with some truly first class acting.