Move away from films to another form of entertainment (for the audience) and achievement and catharsis (for the players), which is sports. It’s as real as life: Raw, volatile with ups and downs, celebrating the triumph of the human spirit on track, field and turf.
If anybody could draw a link between cinema and sport, it had to be Manchester United legend Eric Cantona. Known as much for his goal-scoring prowess as for his philosophical utterances, the footballer-turned-actor memorably articulated: “In football you have an adversary, in cinema that adversary is yourself."
Actors, filmmakers, sportspersons… yes, it’s that time of the year for our Showstoppers list, of 75 outperformers from the world of cinema, its domesticated counterpart streaming, sports and music. They’ve competed, with the best in the world, and with themselves.
It was a year in which India bagged a consecutive hockey bronze medal at the Olympics, the Paralympians returned with a record haul, Dommaraju Gukesh won the World Chess Championship and the cricketers won the T20 World Cup.
So, it’s no surprise to find the list of 25 Showstoppers from sports featuring India’s Paralympian (and Olympian) medallists, chess Grandmasters, the hockey troopers and, inevitably, a handful of cricketers.
On the first of the five covers in this special Showstoppers issue is perhaps the best bowler in the world, Jasprit Bumrah. As Kathakali Chanda writes, after meeting up with the talismanic bowler, Bumrah has been 2024’s highest wicket-taker, the most prolific Test bowler, and was the Player of the Series at the T20 World Cup.
When Chanda asked him about his lethal speed, awe-inspiring average and his rich haul of five wickets in an innings, Bumrah lets on that he doesn’t know “how to react to numbers" because he’s never focussed on them. All he wanted to do from childhood is bowl (fast), and play for India. “….stumps flying, batters ducking and jumping—that fascinated me". For more on Bumrah the bowler and the person, ‘The World of Jasprit Bumrah’ is a must read.
Another man who has realised his childhood dream is actor Rajkummar Rao, who graces our second cover. Which brings us to the world of dreams, fantasy—and reality. In which universe does Rao fit? The answer, as Divya Shekhar writes in ‘The Crown Prince’, may lie in the thought-provoking films he signed up for—films that question everyday prejudices from Islamophobia to homophobia.
And how does it feel to be one of the most commercially successful actors of 2024. “I am an artiste, not a commodity," Rao tells Divya. “I have never felt satisfied as an actor, and I hope that I never do."
Best,
Brian Carvalho
Editor, Forbes India
Email: Brian.Carvalho@nw18.com
X ID: @Brianc_Ed
First Published: Dec 30, 2024, 10:34
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