Nagesh Kukunoor shot to fame as a director with his debut film HYDERABAD BLUES, after which he made ROCKFORD, TEEN DEEWAREIN, etc. He is one director who is considered to make films with different genre. Iqbal is a film with cricket in the background. The game of cricket has been used in many Hindi films in the past, but one film which surfaces above all is obviously Aamir Khan's LAGAAN. Here also Nagesh is using the game to prove his point.
Frenzy, madness, and pulsating arteries...the hysteria of a game that is inarguably the most idolized sport of the nation...Cricket! Iqbal is a movie about bravery and the willingness to follow your dream in the face of adversity. The enchanting film is set against the backdrop of the national obsession - cricket! For Iqbal, an 18-year-old deaf and dumb lad from a small village, cricket was the reason to live; it was his religion, his outlet, for he harbored just one dream - the national team. Bom in the tiny town of Kolipad to a poor farmer Anwar and a cricket-obsessed mother Saida, lqbal wants to be selected and tutored by Guruji, the best cricket coach in the state who runs a prestigious cricket Academy.
Unable to attend any kind of vocational school, Iqbal spends his time grazing his father's buffalos (all of whom are named after famous cricket players), bowling on a makeshift pitch by himself and dreaming that one day with Guruji's help he will make the national team. His 10-year old sister Khadija is a pukka chamcha who adores her brother and serves as his voice and partner in crime.
Iqbal's father hates cricket believing it to be a total waste of time and that there are better ways to serve the nation. His mother however, helps him in every wav possible. lqbal finally gets his big break when through Khadija's initiative, he gets to meet Guruji and is accepted in to the academy. But problems arise when the other wealthier kids have an issue with a poor farmer's kid stealing the glory. This conflict leads to Iqbal being thrown out of the academy.
As Iqbal treads the path to his dream his thirst to succeed is challenged by life's harsh adversities, there is but one hope -an ever encouraging little sister and Mohit, a village drunkard in whom Iqbal seeks the only chance of victory. A shattered lqbal picks up the pieces 
and enlists the help of the town drunk Mohit, who once upon a time was a promising cricketer, to coach him. With great reluctance at first, Mohit begins the training. Soon, the boy and the drunk become inseparable all the while preparing for that seemingly insurmountable goal of making the national team. What follows is a momentous journey of bravery, pride and human achievement as Iqbal and Mohit embark on a dream chase! A movie not just on cricket, but the undying spirit to conquer against all odds... With poignancy, humor and passion intertwined with the cricket madness only Indians can understand, Iqbal is a heart-warming entertainer that celebrates the joy of life, while making you rise and cheer with lqbal as he runs towards his destiny. An exhilarating flight towards destiny, intertwined with cricket madness, and the desire to win will make you rise and cheer for Iqbal.
lqbal will be released under Subhash Ghai's new banner - Mukta Searchlights Films which was set up in July 2005 to promote multiplex films and give the new and up-coming film makers a platform to showcase their talent. lqbal is written and directed by Nagesh Kukunoor.