Break Point review: Riveting Lee-Hesh story with shocking confessions

Break Point

Docuseries (English/Zee5)

Directors: Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Nitesh Tiwari

Rating: 4/5

In the late 90s, when Bollywood and cricket made headlines in India, two racket wielding geniuses marked a new beginning in the country. India shed its underdog status in world tennis when Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes rose to the top of the rankings in men’s doubles and fulfilled the country’s Grand Slam dreams.

‘Break Point’, the seven-episode docuseries by Bollywood director couple Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Nitesh Tiwari, is a gripping retelling of one of India’s most celebrated and controversial sporting stories. It seeks to answer how two ‘brown mundas’, as Paes puts it, conquered Wimbledon and raised hopes of a long and successful partnership before they shockingly chose to split at their prime.

The temptation of a biopic is hard to resist. In Indian films on famous personalities, filmmakers add (or are forced to) segments that suit a particular narrative. People have stopped expecting honesty and truth from biopics. ‘Break Point’ is an exception because it is packed with shocking confessions.

Both players had a reputation of opening up too much to the media. As a popular tennis writer puts it in the series, ‘they never said no to the press’. As a result, for over a decade, the media made most of the duo’s ugly spats and dramatic reunions. The series thrives on this attitude of the pair. While Paes is emotional with words, Bhupathi is composed and succinct. They are unflinching in their love, indifference and hatred towards each other, making ‘Break Point’ binge-worthy.

In the beginning, the series is a melancholic story of family sacrifices as two young boys make rapid strides in the sport. It soon gets wrapped in nostalgia. We are told how the two, chalk and cheese in playing style and personality, forge a friendship. Paes, the alpha male and Bhupathi, the introvert, become inseparable on and off the court.

There is lip-smacking and goosebumps-inducing drama in ‘Break Point’. Famously called the ‘Indian Express’, the duo’s sustained dominance sees it reach the final of all four Majors in 1999. They win two (French Open and Wimbledon) and become the world No.1. This journey is fuelled by terrific camaraderie and great planning, against formidable oppositions and in tricky situations.

Footage of the duo welcomed by the iconic ‘Made In India’ song and their triumphs marked with terrific swagger and tenacity bring memories flooding back for the 90s generation. Hands down, the series’ best portion is about Paes and Bhupathi talking about the origin of their famous chest bump.

With immense success comes fame and many struggle to handle it. It’s disappointing to see how soon the two fall apart owing to differences. It’s hard to point out one particular reason for the happy marriage’s divorce. The series, by talking to the players’ friends and family, gets very close to the truth.

Ego clashes, misunderstanding, external influences and rumours dent the relationship. The pair’s biggest problem was lack of communication. They failed to do what the Woodies (Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge) and Byran Brothers (Mike and Bob) did at their lowest. The famous pairs talk about how they put in the extra yards and believed in giving each other enough space.

Paes and Bhupathi, like players part of the near-invincible Australian cricket team led by Steve Waugh, had this uncanny ability to forge strong camaraderie and embrace a winning mentality during matches, despite not seeing eye to eye otherwise. This explains how they won Wimbledon in 1999 with nearly zero communication and regrouped to clinch the French Open two years later. But the separation was inevitable.

From 'brothers', they soon turn into foes. Paes calls his partner cocky and unprofessional. Bhupathi, while talking about the 2004 Athens Olympics heartbreak, almost makes a shocking confession (it has to be seen to be believed!) about Paes. Like a script gone horribly wrong, the duo’s split had all the ingredients of an Indian ‘masala’ film.

‘Break Point’ ends with one of the most dramatic events in the Lee-Hesh partnership. The 2006 Doha Asian Games fiasco best describes their unusual relationship -- enemies in real life yet undividable in a tennis match.

Break point in tennis signifies a player’s chance to seal an advantage over his opponent. Bhupathi and Paes went their separate ways and still achieved glory. Yet, they squandered a great chance to script a long-standing partnership that could have probably taken Indian tennis to better places. They were undone by their egos, miscommunication, and the politics by the system and people around them. Not many emerged from Indian tennis who could match their pedigree. The sport is looking for its next star after Sania Mirza and the future appears bleak.

The series should have had more videos of their matches to break the monotony of people talking to the camera. It's also striking that their Davis Cup journey, which had the best and worst moments of their partnership, is given very little mention in the series. All in all, you are constantly filled with joy and pride while watching 'Break Point'. You are also left frustrated at how this complicated relationship didn’t realise its full potential.

('Break Point' is streaming on Zee5)