In an era of Superman vs Batman and Captain America vs Iron Man, there are no shortages of two superpowers going head to head. From countries like Russia-Ukraine, North Korea-South Korea and India-Pakistan, it isn't just the big screens that see these face-offs.
One would be forgiven for thinking cricket is immune to the same. The two bigwigs of cricket – N Srinivasan and Lalit Modi have been at loggerheads since time immemorial.
Lalit Modi is the brain behind the cash-rich Indian Premier League and its success. The creation of a unique concoction of cricket and Bollywood has taken cricket to the masses, who had earlier shied away from the sport. On the other hand, N Srinivasan – the Chairman of the ICC and the former BCCI President – would like to credit the success of the IPL to the ruling body of the sport in India.
In the documentary Death of a Gentleman, we clearly see the animosity between the two as they refuse to mention each other. “The less said about Mr. Srinivasan, the better,” Lalit Modi is quoted as saying in the 94-minute feature. “I would not like to talk about Lalit Modi,” quipped the head of ICC.
Ever since the IPL became popular, Lalit Modi was heralded as a genius who brought entertainment, glamour and sport together. However, according to reputed cricket journalists, as his stock rose, the BCCI swatted him aside as the tournament was becoming synonymous with Modi and not the BCCI.
Charges were filed against Modi and he was eventually removed from the post of the Commissioner and Chairman of the IPL in 2010.
The case is still ongoing and it is a matter of debate, but it is clear that Indian cricket has been divided into two factions – Modi's and Srinivasan's. The documentary Death of a Gentleman charts the career of the two icons of Indian cricket and tries to go in depth of the fabric of the sport in India in order to get more transparency and expose the politics in the sport.
If you are a lover of cricket, the documentary is a must watch as it uncovers the biggest scandal in cricket history that threatens to put an end to the gentleman's game.
You can watch Death of a Gentleman for Rs 99/- exclusively on TVFPlay here: bit.ly/DOAGonTVFPlay (This movie is available only in India).
Brand-new app in a brand-new avatar! Download CricRocket for fast cricket scores, rocket flicks, super notifications and much more! 🚀☄️
