Bolly Volley

[caption id="attachment_7927" align="alignleft" width="150"] Arup specializes in any job that requires stretching out his legs - whether it is on a reclining chair at the beach, or in the Economy Plus seat of United Airlines, or on the shoulder of the person sitting in front of him in the theatre. And when dreaming, travelling for work and watching movies is not keeping him busy, he tries to write. He lives in Naperville with his wife and son, who are cinema freaks as well[/caption]

A monthly shower of Bollywood previews, reviews and my unsolicited views

by Arup Raha

Olympics 2012 is over. Except those who get opportunities to appear on TV commercials, Indian medal-winners and other athletes who competed in the event will soon be forgotten. Come Rio 2016, Indians around the world will once again discover the nationalist or the activist hidden within them and get busy deliberating upon how the country treats its sportspersons.

But before the forgetting begins, let us savor what was genuinely India's finest Olympic hour. Six medals — two silver, four bronze — the largest haul in our history. Vijay Kumar's silver in the 25m rapid fire pistol, shot with the calm of a man ordering coffee. Sushil Kumar's silver in wrestling, making him independent India's first back-to-back Olympic medalist. Gagan Narang's bronze in the 10m air rifle on the very first weekend, setting the tone. Saina Nehwal's badminton bronze — the first Olympic medal for Indian badminton. Mary Kom's bronze, the mother of two from Manipur who punched her way into history. Yogeshwar Dutt's wrestling bronze, won with one good eye.

Notice the pattern: shooting, wrestling, boxing, badminton. Individual sports. Sports where a single athlete, a single coach, and sheer stubbornness can overcome a system that offers little. Nobody won a medal in a sport that requires infrastructure, because infrastructure is precisely what we do not build.

And here is the Bollywood connection, since this column must earn its name: we love sports movies — Lagaan, Chak De! India, Ferrari Ki Sawaari with its little boy dreaming of cricket glory — but we treat real athletes like extras. The reel heroes get crores; the real ones get forgotten until the next opening ceremony.

So here is my unsolicited view: enjoy the medals, celebrate the six, and then — this time — do not forget. The road to Rio starts now, in some akhara, some shooting range, some boxing gym in Imphal. Whether anyone is watching is up to us.