I went into the Doosra trailer expecting a cricket film. I came out thinking it might be something rarer: a coming-of-age drama that borrows a stadium-sized moment to tell a small, personal story.
Directed by Abhinay Deo, Doosra releases in theatres on October 23. It is produced by Masha Sajdeh and Rohan Sajdeh, with Neeta Shah as co-producer. The story and screenplay are by Agnello Oswin Dias, the score is by Ram Sampat, and the cast includes Plabita Borthakur, Ankur Vikal, Samidha Guru, Tvisha Seema and Krishna Gokani.
The trailer sets itself against India’s 2002 NatWest final win at Lord’s, the day Sourav Ganguly waved his shirt from the balcony. Here, that moment lands in the living room of Tara, a young girl in a conservative household who is struggling to find her voice. Witnessing the celebration pushes her to challenge what is expected of her, whatever the consequences.
What the trailer promises
It promises two films braided into one: the euphoria of a famous comeback, and the quieter rebellion of a girl deciding to speak. That is a smart pitch. The cricket brings the scale, the nostalgia and the goosebumps; Tara brings the stakes that keep those feelings from becoming a highlights reel.
What it holds back
We do not yet know how much of the film is cricket history and how much is Tara’s arc. The trailer is careful not to show how far her rebellion goes, who pays the price for it, or whether the 2002 match remains a framing device rather than the main event. That withholding is a good sign—it suggests the film has a story to protect.
The moment everyone will talk about
The obvious one is the recreation of Ganguly’s Lord’s balcony moment. But the conversation may go further, because Abhinay Deo has already made a big claim: that Sourav “didn’t just take off a cricket t-shirt; he shed the yoke of colonialism.” That line will launch a thousand debates, and it tells you the film wants to mean something beyond the match.
Where this sits
For Deo, this is a sharp left turn from the acidic energy of Delhi Belly into emotional, idea-driven storytelling. For PVRINOX Pictures, it is a theatrical bet on an original Hindi film with a female lead, which is exactly the kind of swing we should want more of. For Plabita Borthakur, it looks like the kind of lead role that gives an indie favourite a wide-screen moment.
The honest verdict
I am in. Doosra looks earnest, beautifully scored, and genuinely interested in why 2002 still matters. The risk is that the cricket iconography overwhelms Tara’s story. If Deo keeps her journey as the spine, this could be one of October’s most satisfying theatrical surprises.
Watch the original: Doosra The Film and PVRINOX Pictures on YouTube
Source: bollywoodHungama.com
