Today, 08.08.08, marks the beginning of the Olympics games in Beijing, China. The last time a sports event made a big impact on the country, it was the IPL matches, which had filmwallas both as team owners and spectators.
The IPL matches became so big that they even affected the films releasing in that period. Then came the football world cup fever. But the response seems to be thanda to the games beginning today. Here our Bollytown folks talk about the games, it's memories and why it isn't a big deal in India anymore. Read onâ¦
F.Y.I. the games start tomorrow and will go on till August 24.
Sanjay Dutt
The Olympics is still one of the most glorious and popular events in the world. My best memory is when we won the Olympic hockey Gold in 1980. Some of my favourite events include athletics, trap and skeet shooting (trap, sporting clays and skeet shooting are the three major types of competitive shotgun shooting at targets). My very good friend trap shooter Maanavjit Singh Sandhu is in the Indian team. I know him for nearly 15 years.
Amitabh Bachchan
I like all the three mega sport events (the Cricket World cup, the Football World cup and the Olympics). I personally went to the LA Olympics. The Beijing Olympics start on 08.08.08, a rare and lucky date according to the Chineseâ¦
Akshay Kumar
Every time, the Olympics get bigger and better. It's an event that the world comes together for. I was in China recently and I was amazed at the kind of preparation they had made. The Olympics actually have the power to bind a nation together, as well as bringing multiple cultures, races and extreme talents to one city. Not to mention the strength it has to reinvent a country because so much of effort goes into making it successful. There are always winners and losers but they are the best each country has. It's not the winning that matters but the true sportsmanship and spirit
of the game that makes it spectacular. This Olympics may have been marked with some controversy but that doesn't take away from the sheer magic it creates. Being the ambassador for the Special Olympics, I will surely be watching the Olympics wherever I may be.
Anil Kapoor
The Olympics are the most colourful, exciting and competitive games I have ever watched. I am totally in awe of the spirit of the game and its discipline and professionalism. My dad (producer Surender Kapoor) has been a hockey buff and I remember hearing the hockey matches on radio. Worldwide, the Olympics are still as popular and glorious as they used to be, but not in India. This may be because we haven't been as successful in any other sport as we have been in cricket. We were successful in hockey but the effect has begun to disappear as we've started losing. Any country with a competitive spirit will watch the games when it starts winning.
Shilpa Shetty
I am not at all aware about the games; I am also totally ignorant about when the games are starting. I am a sports person and have been a Volley-Ball player at the state level. I like to watch the semi-finals and the finals of the Cricket and Football World Cups. As a kid I remember watching the games on Doordarshan and I remember Carl Lewis winning the gold medal for his running.
Arjun Rampal
The opening ceremony is tomorrow. I always watch the Olympics as I am an athletics fan. It's my favourite sport. I used to run the 400m relay at the state level. Olympics was always under-estimated, as in India it doesn't inspire the kind of fever that cricket and football does. Also we don't have any proper track field for athletics. Having properly trained people in athletics, shooting and boxing could have made it more exciting for us. I remember as a kid we used to have PT Usha who ran wonderfully. Football is the most popular sport in the world and everybody admires football players while in India we just have cricket freaks. I feel bad.
Ranbir Kapoor
I personally am not a Olympic fan. But it's truly a wonderful platform for athletes, from around the world, to showcase their talent and break records.
Katrina Kaif
I don't know when they actually start but I know they are happening in Beijing. My Olympic memories are mainly of Gymnastics; my sisters and I used to watch that and Ice skating.
Ajay Devgan
The Olympics begin on the 8th and end on the 28th of this month. I have not been following any games so I can't pinpoint what's my favourite. With cricket and football emerging as more popular sports in India the importance of the Olympics have decreased; because firstly, the talent that needs to get promoted is really not promoted here in India and second and most importantly; while the government is taking enough interest to promote talent in other sports, they aren't taking the Olympics seriously. Our system needs to realise the importance of promoting talents that can be showcased at the Olympics.
Priyanka Chopra
The Olympics will start on August 8th. So many countries participate together. It's an honor to not just win but also just to be a part of it! The Olympics have always been a big deal in my family. Whenever the games were on, it was like an event in my house where all of us used to sit down and watch it together. I have special childhood memories associated with the Olympics. But I am not sure if I will have time to do that, this year.
Sunil Shetty
I think the Olympics are very popular all over the world. It's only in India that our interest level is decreasing because our country doesn't have much to offer in sports talent. We are not interested because we don't win medals. If any Indian contingent moves forward, we will start getting interested. It's purely lack of our participation that the Olympics don't interest us much; but for the world it is as important as it used to be. l have always watched when India has won the hockey medals. I love swimming and gymnastics too. I will watch the hockey and lightweight boxing matches. The minute there is progress, I will follow the games.
Rahul Bose
I think the Olympics are either on the 11th or the 12th of this month. I personally however prefer cricket to Olympics. On the other hand, I have various memories of the Olympics over the years. For instance when India's hockey team won the Gold.
Who's afraid of Olympics?
NOT US, say the producers whose projects are lined up for release during the games.
Ekta Kapoor Producer of C Kompany releasing on August 22 or 29
"I don't think there will be any opposition from the Olympics. Of course cricket is a different matter. It's a hugely popular sport in India and if there are matches being played then we would face stiff opposition."
Vipul Shah Producer of Singh is Kinng releasing on August 8
"Olympics don't have even 1% chance of coming in the way of my movie."
Ratan Jain Producer of Maan Gaye Mughall-E-Azam releasing on August 22
"I personally don't think Olympics will have any say at the box-office. You see the target audience for movies ie the common man is not aware about the game itself so how can it affect the movie? If it was the IPL matches instead of the Olympics game I would worry. The basic problem is that people in India know that we have sent their best athletes forward for the games; but there is very little hope of them winning a gold medal."
