Showing posts with label Jhulan Goswami. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jhulan Goswami. Show all posts
Chakda Xpress team asks Netflix to release the Anushka Sharma-starrer following team India's ICC Womens's World Cup win
8:28 AM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; November 8, 2025)
On November 2, Team India scripted history as it emerged the champions of the ICC 2025 Women's Cricket World Cup. The win has already had a ripple effect in films. mid-day has learnt that Netflix India is facing pressure to release Chakda Xpress, the Jhulan Goswami-biopic led by Anushka Sharma. The biopic has been lying with Netflix for nearly three years, reportedly due to a fallout between the streamer and the production house, Clean Slate Filmz, led by Karnesh Ssharma.
After the Indian women’s cricket squad’s win, many social media users called for the film’s release. Some members of the movie’s team have also appealed to the platform. A source from the film’s core team tells mid-day, “We have personally written to top executives at Netflix India to see if they can rise above the conflict so that the film can see the light of day. A biopic on a legend like Jhulan di deserves to reach the audience.”
What exactly went wrong with director Prosit Roy’s biopic on the former captain? An insider, who worked on the film, shares, “The production house went over-budget. What added to the woes was that the platform heads didn’t like the way the project was shaping up. But it’s still a solid film.” Since the biopic’s shoot wrapped up in 2022, it has been caught in a deadlock.
Chakda Xpress’s rights currently rest with Netflix. Another source shares, “The recent victory has put the attention back on the biopic. Internal discussions at the streamer have started, and the team is expected to take a final pass this month to determine if it can be released after additional work.”
mid-day reached out to Roy and Ssharma. Both declined to comment.
Renuka Shahane heartbroken that Chakda Xpress might be shelved
9:27 AM
HINDUSTAN TIMES (July 31, 2025)
Actor Renuka Shahane has expressed profound disappointment and heartbreak over recent reports suggesting that Anushka Sharma’s film, Chakda Xpress, might be shelved. The film is a biopic is based on cricketer Jhulan Goswami. Renuka, who filmed her scenes for the movie in 2022, shared her shock during an interview recently.
“I didn’t know. I am very shocked. I am totally heartbroken, basically, because I think everyone has put in so much effort. Anushka has also worked on herself so much for it,” Renuka stated.
She further emphasized the film’s significance, particularly for women in sports. “And whatever scenes I did were so powerful and so impactful, especially for women in sports,” she explained in an interview with NDTV.
Renuka highlighted the inspiring story of the cricketer: “Jhulan Goswami is iconic, and coming from a very poor house and making it big— and yet the kind of discrepancy that still exists between men’s cricket and women’s cricket, and all other sports, I would say— Chakda Xpress had that core quality of sportsmanship.”
Renuka also lauded Anushka’s portrayal, noting, “Anushka has done such a good job of creating that character.”
She revealed that the majority of her scenes were with Anushka, who was her seen in, Zero, in 2018.
Chakda Xpress, which completed filming in 2022, is slated for release on OTT. Despite the current uncertainty, Renuka remains hopeful, wishing “there was some way such a beautiful film could be salvaged.”
Ahead of filming cricket portions of Chakda Xpress, Anushka Sharma to undergo intensive training in Leeds
8:17 AM
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; August 3, 2022)
Anushka Sharma kicked off the shoot of Chakda Xpress, a biopic on former Indian women’s cricket captain Jhulan Goswami, in June in Mumbai. While the emotional scenes were shot in the first schedule, the upcoming leg in the United Kingdom will focus on the matches that made Goswami a force to reckon with, in the international arena. It is heard that Sharma will undergo a two-week training in Leeds to perfect her bowling skills before the next spell begins.
A source reveals, “Anushka had a fair amount of training earlier this year before director Prosit Roy called action on the project. But she is leaving no stone unturned to become Jhulan on screen. She will fly to Leeds in mid-August to work with her coach to pick up Jhulan’s style of bowling. The cricketer is known to be one of the fastest women bowlers, and it won’t be easy to emulate that. Anushka will train till August-end, after which Prosit will resume his place behind the camera. The second schedule will go on till September.”
The Netflix offering marks Sharma’s first movie after embracing motherhood. In tracing Goswami’s glorious journey in Indian cricket, the actor intends to highlight women’s struggles in the sport.
The pandemic kept me from returning to the movies, even though I was itching to start filming-Anushka Sharma
8:19 AM
Anushka, who recently kicked off the Chakda Xpress shoot, says the biopic makes a statement against patriarchy through Goswami’s journey
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 21, 2022)
“It feels like my first film again,” grins Anushka Sharma, who began shooting for Chakda Xpress this week in Mumbai. The project is significant to the actor for two reasons — Prosit Roy’s directorial venture marks her first movie after embracing motherhood. More importantly, it traces the glorious journey of former Indian women’s cricket captain Jhulan Goswami, thus reiterating women’s struggles in the sport.
As she returns to the movies three-and-a-half years after Zero (2018), Sharma is glad to have found a film she truly believes in. She says, “Unfortunately, the pandemic kept me from returning to the movies, even though I was itching to start filming.”
Though the Netflix film rolled only recently, Sharma’s prep began in February as she headed to the pitch to pick up Goswami’s bowling style. “A film of this scale needed tremendous prep in all departments. It is a delightful script that intends to make strong statements,” she says.
After wrapping up the Mumbai leg, the team is expected to head to the United Kingdom for an extensive schedule next month.
The story celebrates the grit of Goswami, who went on to create the record for the highest number of wickets taken by a woman in an international cricket career. The actor considers the biopic one of her most definitive films. “It is a fact that women have to go that extra mile to earn their place in this patriarchal world. Jhulan Goswami’s life is testimony to the fact that she carved her own destiny, and fought for every inch of the spotlight and recognition. I hope that I can do justice to the script.”
For Chakda Express, Virat Kohli helped us get the right coaches-Karnesh Ssharma
8:40 AM
With Anushka Sharma prepping to step into Jhulan’s shoes for Chakda Xpress, producer says film aims to encourage audience to support women’s cricket
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; April 7, 2022)
Anushka Sharma and producer-brother Karnesh Ssharma (below) have been the minds behind some brave stories in the recent past — from NH10 (2015) to Paatal Lok (2020) and Bulbbul (2020). So, when they announced Chakda Xpress, inspired by the life of Jhulan Goswami, it naturally piqued curiosity.
Convinced that Anushka is the best fit for the role, Karnesh says the actor is intensely preparing to bring to screen an honest rendition of the former Indian women’s cricket captain. “The story spans 12 years, and is a big-budget film. So, you need a big actor to front it to justify the budget. From her acting prowess to star value, there is no doubt about Anushka. She is training hard to [play] a fast bowler,” he says. The team plans to take the Prosit Roy-helmed film on floors in June. Probe if Virat Kohli is helping them perfect the cricketing nuances, Karnesh says, “He helped us get the right coaches.”
Most of their projects have women driving the narratives. Chakda Xpress is no exception. “The film is not about cricket,” asserts Karnesh. “It’s about women’s struggles in cricket. Jhulan is the face of it, but [at its heart], the film is about all the women who have tried to make a difference. All they want is an opportunity and respect. When you see the film, you will realise what these women had to endure to play a match. Now, women’s cricket is in a much better place. But it’s important to remind people of these women’s struggles; it’s important to support their game.”
The film’s first look received polarised reactions, with many questioning Anushka’s accent. Did it upset him? “It is art, and it is open to discussion. As long as it doesn’t get violent or belittle [someone], we accept it,” says Karnesh, whose Clean Slate Studioz has been announced as the principal partner for Yorkshire County Cricket Club.
Anushka Sharma to play cricketer Jhulan Goswami
9:04 AM
Juhi Chakraborty (HINDUSTAN TIMES; January 12, 2020)
Actor Anushka Sharma has cricket on her mind. And, no! It has got nothing to do with her husband, skipper Virat Kohli. Although, his tips might come in handy for her.Well, Anushka is set to portray former Indian women’s cricket team captain, Jhulan Goswami in her next. We have learnt that India’s pace spearhead is getting a biopic and Anushka has already started prepping for the role.
According to a source, “The production team couldn’t get anyone who would match Jhulan’s physical characteristics, but they were thrilled when they finally found Anushka to be a perfect fit for the part.” The source added that the 31-year-old actor is currently being trained by Indian cricketer Jemimah Rodrigues’ father, Ivan Rodrigues, and Indian cricket coach Prashant Shetty.
The production team is working on a special promotional shoot — photo and video — at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, later this month. “An award-winning prosthetics team is flying down for the prep. Anushka would be doing the promo shoot at the Eden Gardens on January 25. The stadium has been booked for the whole night to avoid any crowd,” the source informs.
And there is excitement back home for Anushka, whose last film, Zero (2018), didn’t do any wonders at the box office. “Virat is also very excited and invested in the project,” shares the source.
We reached out to Jhulan for a comment, however, she didn’t sound too keen to discuss the project. When asked about it, “Ummm… I am not sure, I don’t want to talk about it”, is all she had to say.
Jhulan hails from Chakdaha, a small town in Nadia, West Bengal. At the age of 19, back in 2002, she played the One Day International against England held in Chennai. In 2007, Jhulan bagged the ICC Women’s Cricketer of the Year award. She was conferred with the prestigious Arjuna Award in 2010, and the Padma Shri two years later. Another laurel to her credit: She is the highest wicket taker in Women’s One Day International cricket.
Meanwhile, this is not the only biopic on a female cricketer in the works. Actor Taapsee Pannu will be seen wearing the cricket gear for her upcoming film Shabaash Mithu, a biopic on Indian women’s cricket captain (ODI) Mithali Raj.
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