TORTURED GENIUS

The Discovery Plus documentary What Killed Maradona? investigates the issues in the legend’s life without simplistic labelling

- KARTHIK RAVINDRANATH

An Argentine truck driver who had a part-time job advising the local youth football team chanced upon a group of kids playing in an open field. He noticed a boy with mesmerising skill and a magical left foot. This is a gift from God, the driver said to himself, as he watched little Diego Maradona. It is a gift Maradona used to conquer the world. His rise from the slums of Buenos Aires to the pinnacle of the beautiful game is the stuffof dreams. But, Maradona, who died aged 60 in November 2020, had his share of nightmares, too.

His troubles are well documented. Perhaps a shade too well; so much so that as years go by, his genius may get overshadowed by the problems— ranging from drug and alcohol addiction and “connections” to the Mafia to his temperamental nature and “gargantuan” ego. But, it would be grossly unjust to paint Maradona as a prima donna based on what is little more than hearsay. We need all the facts. And that is exactly what the new Discovery Plus documentary What Killed Maradona? offers. All the facts, painstakingly researched and concisely put together.