Call it the Olympics effect, if you prefer. This year, and the next, Bollywood is set to unveil several sports-based films that explore the lives and times of sportsmen. And it doesn’t stop there — filmmakers are keen to go beyond cricket and tell stories about the societal repercussions of relationships sportsmen, connected to games other than cricket, have with their games.

Filmmaker Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, who made Rang De Basanti (2006) and Delhi 6 (2009), will release his next film, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag next year. It is based on the life of the renowned athlete from the 1960s, Milkha Singh, famously known as the ‘Flying Sikh’. “I feel very strongly about the real role models in the society and Milkha Singh is one of them,” says Mehra.