Azhar is a Biographical Sports Bollywood film released on 13 May 2016. Anthony D’Souza has directed the film as Tony D’Souza. He earlier directed Blue (2009) and Boss (2013). Shobha Kapoor and Ekta Kapoor have produced the film along with Co-Producers Aman Gill, Firuzi Khan and Sameer Nair.

Azhar is inspired and based on the life of star Indian Cricketer and former Indian National Cricket team captain Mohammad Azharuddin. However, the film stats with a disclaimer stating that the film is not a biopic of on the life of former captain of Indian Cricket Team. So the creators trick you accommodation that it's anything but a biopic. In any case, one has additionally to be visually impaired, not to have the option to see the likenesses between Azhar's life and this film.

Emraan Hashimi has portrayed Azharuddin in the film whereas Prachi Desai and Nargis Fakhri have portrayed Azhar’s First and Second wife Naureen and Sangeeta, respectively.  Kunaal Roy Kapur played Mr. Reddy friend-cum-advocate for Azhar and Lara Dutt played Meera Verma the rival advocate.

The film was made in a budget of approximately 35 crores and earned approximately 57 crores on worldwide box office. Thus, the film got moderate commercial success inspite of mix reviews from audiences and critics.  Most of the film critics were on different opinion about the fictionalized interpretation of events in the film. 

Star Cast

Emraan Hashmi, Prachi Desai, Nargis Fakhri, Lara Dutta and Kunaal Roy Kapur have played pivotal roles in the film. Gautam Gulati, Kulbhushan Kharbanda, Rajesh Sharma, Manjot Singh, Rajit Kapur, Virendra Saxena and Mohit Chhabra have played supporting roles in the film.

Story

The film starts with Indian cricketer Azhar (Emraan Hashmi) scoring a century in his 99th test coordinate, yet he before long faces charges of match-fixing as his name has been connected with a London based bookie M.K. Sharma otherwise known as Shaun (Rajesh Sharma). The Indian cricket board slaps a day-to-day existence prohibition on him. Azhar chooses to challenge the boycott in court with the assistance of his legal counselor companion Reddy (Kunaal Roy Kapoor). 

The story moves back to 1963, when Azhar was destined to an agreeable working class family in Hyderabad. His granddad (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) longed for Azhar playing 100 tests for Team India and inspires a mild-mannered youthful Azhar to answer his adversaries with his batting abilities. Youthful Azhar goes for an Indian group determination match to Mumbai, where on the match day he gets the awful information on his granddad's passing. In any case, he partakes in the match, as per his granddad's last desire. 

Azhar dazzles the selectors, fixing his place in Team India and he before long turns into a public legend by scoring 3 successive hundreds of years in his initial 3 Test innings. Azhar before long weds Naureen (Prachi Desai) and the two of them start a glad wedded life. After a misfortune against Pakistan in 1991, the President of Cricket Board calls Azhar for a coordinated gathering. Azhar at first feelings of trepidation getting dropped from the group, however is astounded when he is offered the situation of group Captain. Some senior players like Manoj, Ravi and Navjot, despise Azhar's arrangement as Captain, not wishing to take orders from a more youthful and less experienced player. However, Kapil (Varun Badola) bolsters and urges him to zero in on his obligation. 

While playing in an India–Pakistan coordinate, Javed insults Azhar, disclosing to Azhar his Muslim legacy would be a superior fit for the Pakistan group. Azhar drives his group to triumph and before long turns into an effective Captain. At the pinnacle of his profession, Azhar's own life takes a curve when he meets a previous Miss India and well known Bollywood entertainer Sangeeta (Nargis Fakhri) during a publicizing film shoot and quickly goes gaga for her. Sangeeta likes him as well yet, mindful that he is now hitched, she cautions him to avoid her. By and by, Azhar is beguiled by her magnificence and doesn't hear her out guidance. They start dating yet keep their relationship covered up, until it is abruptly uncovered by a tattle magazine. 

Azhar has no other option except for to freely report his issue with Sangeeta. Sorrowful, Naureen asks him for a separation and soon Azhar leaves her to wed Sangeeta. During a cricket coordinate against the West Indies, Azhar gets in a disagreement with partner Manoj for a moderate run rate to finish his century, allowing the group to lose. Manoj is dropped from the following match and Azhar drives the group to triumph. Manoj is mortified and promises to deliver retribution. In later long stretches of his profession, Azhar, acclaimed for his costly way of life, comes into the eyes of match-fixers. He is before long drawn nearer by a London-based bookie M.K Sharma, camouflaged as a precious stone dealer, who later offers him 10 million rupees to under play in a match against Sri Lanka, which Azhar reluctantly acknowledges. 

In an equal story, after the match-fixing outrage, Azhar is currently confronting cross country analysis and an examiner, Meera (Lara Dutta), is developing a solid body of evidence against him based on sting activities done by Manoj on Ravi, Navjot and a few different cricketers. She likewise utilizes the report of the request commission set up by the Cricket Board and furtively meets the bookie M. K. Sharma to accumulate more proof. Meera likewise moves toward Naureen, requesting that she fill in as an observer, yet she can't. Then, Azhar and his legal advisor Reddy are battling to locate any verification of guiltlessness as none of his kindred cricketers are prepared to take care of him. 

Azhar goes to an exercise center opening function to restore his old notoriety out in the open, however is left offended by the proprietor himself. Following a long, eight-year lawful battle, Reddy at last makes an advancement by demonstrating in court that the request commission report is one-sided, as they were paid by Cricket Board itself. Reddy even difficulties the genuineness of sting activity tapes as none of the observer was sworn to tell the truth and henceforth can not be treated as truth. Afterward, Azhar additionally uncovers that he took 10 million rupees from the bookie to get him far from other colleagues however later scored a game dominating innings and restored all the cash to the bookie. 

On the last day of judgment, both Naureen and Sangeeta go to the court hearing, indicating their help for Azhar. Kapil likewise states in a TV meet that he trusts Azhar is guiltless. In its last decision, the court lifts the India cricket board boycott forced on Azhar.

Film Review

You stay contributed here on the grounds that the current material consolidates India's two religions-cricket and movies. Obviously, this age would prefer to see biopics on MS Dhoni or Virat Kohli. Yet, to give the fallen angel his due, Azhar was a symbol in the 80-90s. The film follows the ascent of a wonder naturally introduced to an unobtrusive Muslim family unit in Hyderabad. As right on time as his 20s, he proceeds to get quite possibly the most refined Indian batsman and a paisa-vasool defender.

The Director’s fictionalization of Azharuddin's life works in many parts, yet comes out as a profoundly lauding exercise. The film does not address the greyer issues of Azhar's profession; in any event, when its vast majority is on the match-fixing claims that the cricketer needed to manage. For one, Azhar's condition with Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly is simply overlooked. Picking the parts to work out on film may have been a cognizant choice by both the movie producer and the cricketer; however, it seems a name-clearing position by Azhar. 

Notwithstanding the issues in the story, Azhar likewise stumbles in its altering. Briefly film, Azhar feels oddly extended. There are minutes in the film that drive you to smother those yawns. 

Mohammad Tariq and Pritam's music is commendable. “Bol Do Na Zara” stays on in the psyche long after Azhar is finished with. 

Altogether, the film works exclusively because of Emraan Hashmi. The entertainer pours in his central core into playing Azhar, being Azhar. 

The film closes with Emraan saying today is 'Day of atonement' for Azharuddin. That to accept his story or not - the decision rests with the crowd. A great many people will trust Azharuddin's story only for Emraan Hashmi.

Rating 

IMDB views rates the film 5.8 out of 10 whereas Bollywood Product gives it 6 out of 10.