Once retired, a player fades from the public memory, says bookie MK Sharma (Rajesh Sharma) in the film Azhar, ostensibly a biopic on the life and times of former India cricket skipper Mohammed Azharuddin. His words are proved contradictory, albeit for all the wrong reasons. The cricketer in question is Mohammad Azharuddin, a luminous presence in India's blue jersey in the 90s till his career crashed and died against match-fixing allegations. Nobody allowed the cricketer to live that down for years to come.

When news of the match-fixing scandal broke, my very first thought was for Mohammad Azharuddin's wrists. The heartbreak was unbelievable, and echoes of that particular ache still remain. Believe the hyperbole. Cricket was tantamount to religion back in the untainted day, and the idea that some of our heroes were thieves was a crushing one, one the sport never quite bounced back from. It was at this point, before I pored over salacious transcripts of sting operations and read up a CBI report as if my graduation depended on it, that I wondered what would happen to those sublime wrists, wrists that carved poetry across the fields, and what handcuffs would do to them.

Tony D'Souza's Azhar is a dream biopic for the person whose biopic this is. Mohammad Azharuddin has had a life like no other Indian cricketer. Most of his life has been in the public eye, which makes the film Azhar a tough one to digest. However, despite its many issues, Azhar is a story well-told. Only if it is seen as a story, that is.

Was one of India's finest batsmen and successful skippers guilty of throwing matches for money? Or was Mohammad Azharuddin made a scapegoat? Director Tony D'Souza's film examines whether justice was served in the dark match fixing saga that exploded in Indian cricket at the turn of the millennium. Azharuddin's grandfather had prophesied the cricketer will play 100 Tests - a dream that was thwarted when he was banned after 99 Tests.

If you go by the initial disclaimers ( yes, there are several, filling the entire screen) you will know that what you are about to watch is a 'kaalpanik chitra' (imaginary film) which is based on the 'vibhinna ghatnaon' (many episodes) of the life of a disgraced captain of the Indian cricket team; that any resemblance to any real event is 'matra ek sanyog' (a mere coincidence), and that it doesn't intend to 'hurt' any 'sanstha' (organization) or 'corporate'.

Azhar is clearly made as an attempt at redemption for the tainted cricketer and India's ex-captain Mohammad Azharuddin. Unfortunately, you walk out of the theatre with no emotions, no sympathy, except for remorse at having wasted another two hours of your life on a strictly mediocre film. It is sad because Tony D'Souza, the director of Azhar biopic (or is it not as the long disclaimer at the beginning of the film tries to tell us in no uncertain terms) is supposedly talking about the tumultuous and adventurous life of one of the finest cricketers that the country has seen and all we remember now is how shockingly tacky any subject in hand, however interesting, can be turned into.

AZHAR is not a biopic or actual representation of Mohammed Azharuddin or any of the characters (read cricketers) depicted in the film. This is for entertainment purpose only. A disclaimer like that coming on screen right before the movie starts knocks off all expectations one has as a viewer. So, will we get some facts to chew upon? Or like the various committee reports this too will be another exercise in futility? The disclaimer said it all!

Biopics based on sports personalities make for an interesting watch- be it Mary Kom or Paan Singh Tomar and when the sportsman in question is a controversial figure, a film on that personality is sure to grab everyone's attention. So, when it was announced that Balaji was making a biopic on the life of controversial cricketer Mohammad Azharuddin, there was curiosity galore about how the makers of the film would handle the subject and whether they will offer a glimpse into the dark phases of his life. However, unfortunately, the film does nothing at all beyond trying to eulogize Azhar.

'Azhar' is clearly made as an attempt at redemption for the tainted cricketer and India's ex-captain Mohammad Azharuddin. Unfortunately, you walk out of the theatre with no emotions, no sympathy, except for remorse at having wasted another two hours of your life on a strictly mediocre film. It is sad because Tony D'Souza, the director of 'Azhar' biopic (or is it not as the long disclaimer at the beginning of the film tries to tell us in no uncertain terms) is supposedly talking about the tumultuous and adventurous life of one of the finest cricketers that the country has seen and all we remember now is how shockingly tacky any subject in hand, however interesting, can be turned into.

When a movie is in the process of production, rumours play a vital role in generating enough buzz ahead of its release. Similarly, 'Azhar' starring Emraan Hashmi was promoted as a biopic on former Indian skipper Mohammad Azharuddin. However, a disclaimer right before the film started clarified that ' it is not a biopic of the cricketer'.

Born into a Hyderabadi family, a young Mohammad Azharuddin is convinced by his Naanajaan (Kulbhushan Kharbanda) that he will become a great cricketer some day and play 100 test matches for team India. Soon, Azhar turns out to be a brilliant batsman and India's high run-scorer thanks to his talent and a young captain too. Once his professional life is on track, Azhar's family decides, it's time for the lad to get hitched. He meets Naureen (Prachi Desai) in an arrange marriage set up. The two soon tie the knot and his cricketing career keeps soaring.

Bollywood is known for its ultra glamorous dream like movies. However, in the past couple of years, the Indian audiences have become very receptive to biopics. The real life stories of influential Indian personalities seem to be working very well at the box office. This week's release AZHAR, based on the life of former Indian cricket captain is one controversial untold story.

The film warns us in the start, so we have to warn you as well. This film is not exactly a biopic of the former Indian cricket captain but a fictionalised version of what could or could not be the truth. Confused? So was I. The film begins with Azhar (Emraan Hashmi) completing his 99th Test match with a match winning innings. However, a sting operation carried by a jealous fellow cricketer Manoj involves him in the match fixing scandal. He is banned from playing any further matches by the association. We then start hearing various names associated with the scandal like Hansie Cronje, MK Sharma (Rajesh Sharma), Chandrachur committee, and others.

You stay invested here because the material at hand combines India's two religions-cricket and films. Of course, this generation would rather see biopics on MS Dhoni or Virat Kohli. But, to give the devil his due, Azhar was an idol in the 80-90s. The film traces the rise of a prodigy born into a modest Muslim household in Hyderabad. As early as his 20s, he goes on to become one of the most accomplished Indian batsman and a paisa-vasool fielder.