Chakda Xpress, the sports drama chronicling the life of Jhulan Goswami essayed by Anushka Sharma has completed its shooting. The upcoming drama, directed by Prosit Roy, will be available on Netflix shortly. The film’s production which began in June 2022 has concluded and actress Anushka Sharma took to Instagram to announce the end of the filming and shared a few photos from the final day. She also stated that ace cricketer Jhulan Goswami offered the last clap to put the shoot to a close.
Spread across 65 days, 7 schedules and 6 cities, the movie is certain to capture the imagination of the nation like none other. Taking to Instagram, Anushka wrote, “It’s a wrap on Chakda ‘Xpress and thank you @JhulanGoswami for the final clap to bring an end to the shoot! (blue heart, clapboard and cricket bat emojis).”
Shoots for Chakda Xpress – done and dusted.
📸@NetflixIndia #CricketTwitter pic.twitter.com/7y68EcDcOk
— Female Cricket (@imfemalecricket) December 26, 2022
Chakda Xpress is a sports biopic inspired by the extraordinary story of Jhulan Goswami, one of the fastest female pacers in global cricket history. The movie will also traverse her journey as she progresses up the ladder against numerous obstacles and defies the odds to fulfil her only dream of playing cricket. Jhulan Goswami became the highest wicket-taker in women’s cricket history and an inspiration to an entire generation of cricketers to take up the game in and out of India. Many questioned Anushka’s portrayal of Jhulan Goswami when the film was announced, as the filmmakers had experimented a lot with the actress’s looks, as seen by viral images from the set but all that has been put to rest and everyone is awaiting the arrival of the movie.
Anushka Sharma had earlier also echoed the sentiment of how the movie is close to her heart as it is essentially a story of tremendous sacrifice and because the movie is inspired by the legendary Jhulan Goswami, she felt it will serve as an eye-opener into the world of women’s cricket. She also reflected on how when Jhulan decided to become a cricketer and make her country proud on the global stage, it was very tough for women to even think of playing the sport or even making a career out of it. Anushka Sharma also added that this film is a dramatic yet strong retelling of several real-life instances of Jhulan Goswami that shaped her career and at large, the destiny of Indian women’s cricket.
It is a pleasing sight to see movies being made on women cricketers as earlier this year we saw the release of ‘Shabaash Mithu’, the movie made of the life of Mithali Raj. Although the movie received mixed reviews, it still can be considered a welcome step in the right direction to see movies emerge in Bollywood that brings different stories of struggle and sacrifice of women cricketers to the spotlight.
I am a first year postgraduate student pursuing a MA in Media and Communication Studies at Christ University, Bengaluru. I am a podcaster, blogger and an avid cricket fan. When not glued to cricket matches, you can find me submerged in books and thinking about cricket all the time.