A forthcoming Netflix cricketing film is inspired by the journey of Jhulan Goswami who’s the face of Indian cricket and a legend in world cricket. Bollywood actress, Anushka Sharma playing the lead in the film has called the film a special one as it introduced her to the world of women’s cricket.
Directed by Prosit Roy, the film “Chakda Xpress” is produced by Anushka Sharma and her brother Karnesh Sharma’s Clean Slate Filmz. A clip now making rounds is from Netflix’s Films day event in Mumbai. The streaming service shared a behind-the-scenes video of the sports drama and it included a special message from the lead star.
In the video message, Anushka Sharma said she is in the United Kingdom training hard for the movie. The clip starts, “Hi, I am Anushka Sharma, currently training at a cricket ground in Leeds in the United Kingdom for a very special film, called “Chakda Xpress”. I am playing a role inspired by the life and times of the legendary pacer and former Indian captain Jhulan Goswami.
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Chakda ‘Xpress is getting ready for departure #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/0ONEaJXirG
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) August 29, 2022
“I was absolutely blown away by the script, it was an eye-opener for me into the world of women’s cricket as I am sure it will be for you all as well. ‘Chakda Xpress’ traces Goswami’s journey as she moves up the ladder despite the hindrances posed by misogynistic politics to fulfil her dream of playing cricket for India,” said the 34-year-old actress.
Excited for the release, Anushka Sharma said, “I am sorry I couldn’t be there personally to present this film. But here we are so that we can bring you this soon. I am so excited for you all to watch this amazing story onscreen. Now, I have to run quite literally because I am at my practice session but I cannot wait to bring this film to you all on Netflix,” she concluded.
The actress has already wrapped up the first schedule of the film in July this year and over the weekend, Anushka on her Instagram shared pictures from the ground where she was prepping, but innovated the post with a caption, “Don’t be fooled by the smile”.
Her most recent Instagram post is the first teaser look, where she is seen in different settings; seated in the locker room, sharing a moment with her team, in the doctor’s office, lost in thoughts while she sat by herself in a room and more. At a point, Anushka had also dawned the look as Jhulan in a pair of glasses. A special appearance does feature Jhulan Goswami at a net session sharing a light moment with Anushka Sharma.
39-year-old, Jhulan Goswami has picked up 44 wickets in 12 Test matches (21 innings) with best figures of 5/25 in an innings and 10/78 in a match. In One-day Internationals (ODI’s) she’s picked up 252 wickets in 201 matches (200 innings) with best figures of 6/31; in the format, she’s got 2 fifers and as many as 7 four-wicket hauls. In 68 Twenty20 Internationals (T20I’s) she’s got 56 wickets with best figures of 5/11 in the shortest format of the game.
Padma Shri awardee, Jhulan Goswami at the Lord’s cricket ground in September is set to bid farewell to the game closing out an illustrious and decorated international career spanning from 2002-2022.