Movies based on sports have a unique appeal, all right. There’s sweat, passion, underdogs-turning-into-winners feel, and lot of course the rush of adrenaline.

Well, if you’re suckers for sporty flicks, 2016 is your year. Not one, but five movies are releasing this year, which pay an ode to the grit and determination of a sportsperson…we trace those five flicks…take a look:

Saala Khadoos:
The bi-lingual, to be released simultaneously in Hindi and Tamil, sees R Madhavan in the role of a fierce, khadoos boxing coach. For his part, the actor gained weight, trained with the best in the industry to get the boxing nuances right, and also put on a perpetually pissed off demeanour.

Pros:
Minus any huge star-backing, looks like the flick will stick to its core idea of a sport flick. The title song and background score are energetic and vigorous, just what a sports movie should have.

A promising debutant in Ritika Singh, who looks the part and could go a long way in Bollywood.

Lastly, Madhavan…he has matured as an actor, yes. But what really ticks the right boxes is the stark contrast from his last Bollywood outing Tanu Weds Manu Returns. The sophisticated and soft-spoken doc of Tanu Weds…gets a ruthless makeover, and how!

Cons:
There’s very little buzz in terms of promotion, despite the movie releasing end of this month. Without a prominent star in the lead, the movie might fail to reach the right audience.

Will the viewers really flock to the screens to watch a predictable story minus any drama and entertainment?

Dhoni: The Untold Story:
One of the most dynamic cricketers of the Indian squad gets his own movie dedication in this September release. It’s been in the pipeline for ages and is one of the most looked forwards to flicks of 2016.

Pros:
It’s about MS Dhoni. Duh. Need anything else? Sushant Singh Rajput steps into the shoes of the ace cricketer. Considering Rajput’s athletic frame, dashing good looks, and previous cricket movie experience (he played a coach in Kai Po Che!), our expectations from the movie is rather high.

We are dying to the know the untold story of Dhoni’s life, along with seeing what Sushant and Kiara Advani (she plays Saskhi Dhoni) have in store in the oomph department.

Cons:
If not handled properly, it could become just another commercial potboiler with a song-dance routine thrown in. Not all of Dhoni’s controversial past or cricketing decisions might be shown…

Sultan:
Sallu kicks off 2016 with this much-awaited movie. Even without watching a single trailer, we can forecast a Rs 200 cr entry for this movie.

Pros:
It stars Salman Khan…enough said. It also has a fresh pairing in Salman-Anushka Sharma. We can’t wait to watch their chemistry. The wrestling movie, based on a Haryana wrestler, will show off Sallu’s enviable body to the T.

It’s backed by the Yashraj banners, it’s going to be larger-than-life and super entertaining for sure.

Dangal:
 Another wrestling movie, another Khan in the lead. Well, 2016 will end on a high note with Aamir Khan’s Dangal, where he plays the role of Mahavir Singh Phogat, the coach who taught his daughters (Geeta and Babita) wrestling, eventually guiding them to bring laurels to the country.

Pros:
It stars Aamir ‘perfectionist’ Khan. Period. There’s women power in full display as Aamir’s daughters are the true stars of the movie.

Fatima Sana Sheikh and Sanya Malhotra play Geeta and Babita, respectively. You might remember Fatema from Chachi 420. Yes, she played Kaman Haasan and Tabu’s daughter in the comedy.

Sakshi Tanwar switches to the big screen with a meaty role opposite Khan. Atta, girl!

Azar:
As one of the most controversial cricketers in India, a movie on  Mohd Azharuddin makes total sense. Middle of this year, Emran Hashmi steps into the cricketer’s shoes to play a pitch-perfect role.

Pros:
The many shades of Azar’s life, right from his first marriage to the rocking affair with Sangeeta Bijlani to his match fixing scandals, would be on glorious display.

Cons:
We are not sure if Emran can pull off Azar’s role because…well…he just doesn’t come across as a cricketer. There’s really not buzz about the cricketer now, so would we actually have any interests in watching a biopic on him?