Love him, hate him, judge him…Azhar…  

The life of India’s most celebrated & controversial sporting hero Mohammad Azharuddin on celluloid.

Releasing internationally through Grand Showbiz Media & Entertainment on 13^th May 2016.

The most anticipated film on the life of one of the most celebrated and controversial cricketers in India’s history, Mohammad Azharuddin, is set to bowl audiences on 13^th May 2016 with the release of AZHAR. 

Azhar chronicles the life and times of the former Indian Cricket Captain, through his colourful journey. From international cricketing successes to controversial detours in his personal life, Azhar is the story of a fallen hero. The film is based on incidents and facts in the life of Mohammad Azharuddin, who in the 1990s became one of India’s most controversial sportsmen.  From setting world records that are yet to be broken, to getting embroiled in the first ever match fixing scandal the country witnessed, the film traces Azhar’s insurmountable highs and his tremendous lows.

Azhar stars Emraan Hashmi, credited with both critical and commercial acclaim in a career spanning over a decade, who powerfully essays the role of Mohammad Azharuddin. He is joined onscreen by a stellar cast comprising Prachi Desai, who portrays the role of ‘Naureen’, the first wife of Azharuddin and Nargis Fakhri as Sangeeta Bijlani, the second wife of Azharuddin. The film is produced by Balaji Motion Pictures and Sony Pictures Networks’ and directed by Tony D’Souza, an award winning American novelist and journalist.

Azhar releases in cinemas on 13^th May 2016 internationally through Grand Showbiz Media & Entertainment.

Vital Facts:
Director:           Tony D’ Souza
Written:            Rajat Arora
Music by:        Amaal Malik
Cast:               Emraan Hashmi as Mohammad Azharuddin  Nargis Fakhri as Sangeeta Bijlani, the second wife of Azharuddin  Prachi Desai as Naureen, the first wife of Azharuddin  Lara Dutta as lawyer  Gautam Gulati as Ravi Shastri  Manjot Singh as Navjot Singh  Kunaal Roy Kapur as a lawyer  Rajesh Sharma as M.K. Sharma

Synopsis:

“Azhar” is based on a few highly talked about incidents and facts in Azhar’s life, Azharuddin, who ended up becoming the country’s most controversial sportsman yet. From setting world records that are yet to be broken, to getting embroiled in the first ever match fixing scandal the country witnessed, the film traces Azhar’s insurmountable highs and his tremendous lows.

The film begins with Azhar as a young child from a middle class home in Hyderabad who dreams of becoming a cricketer and captures his entry on sheer merit in the professional arena of Indian cricket as a teenager. Drawing parallels with his personal and professional life, we are introduced to a young and shy Azhar who’s arranged marriage with Naureen throws light on his private world that was forever closed to the media and the public glare.

His rise as the captain of Indian cricket team shows us the metamorphoses of the man who enjoys a flamboyant life style and has become accustomed to the adulation of fans and the media.  At this point, Sangeeta enters the scene. Azhar’s eventual marriage with the actress changes his life forever.

Even as Azhar is set to create a record of having played 100 test matches, the biggest twist in his career comes when he is accused of being involved in the match fixing scandal. The first ever controversy of this magnitude, witnessed by the country, cuts short his career bringing him much shame and ignominy.

From being labelled a living legend, Azhar becomes an accused. How that change happens and what Azhar goes through when faced with life-damning allegations- form the crux of the story. Though the film is not a biopic, for the first time, Azhar, the film, provides us with the inner view of a much publicized life and times, of the cricketing hero who fell from grace and changed the gentleman’s game forever.