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What's the Story?
Bollywood actor Gulshan Grover and his son Sanjay will be producing a biopic on Kashmiri footballer, Afshan Ashiq. The 21-year old had harboured dreams of making it into the national team. However, on April 24, Ashiq transformed into a stone-pelter.
In Case You Didn't Know
Grover is an accomplished actor and has had a number of projects under his belt. Grover's latest project is an action film called 'Nephilim'.
The Heart of the Matter
Afshan is an undergraduate student and a footballer. She is well-respected in the Valley for her passion for football. Earlier this year, she formulated a team of women footballers and began to train them. However, a photograph of her pelting stones at the police went viral.
On that day, she and a group of girls were walking home when demonstrations broke out. Soon after, police started to abuse Afshan and her group. She said that a policeman slapped one of the girls and that was the last straw.
Up until that moment, Afshan's group was not involved in the protests and would not have pelted stones. But the police forced their hand by misbehaving with them.
Manish Harishankar will be helming the film project, titled Hope Solo, as director. The 27-year-old filmmaker was Director of Special Projects for the last five years with the Hollywood studio, Metro Goldwyn Mayer.
His aim is to bring Hollywood directors to helm stories focussed on unconventional Indian content. Sanjay is currently casting for a female lead for the role and is eyeing several options. Sonam Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor and Athiya Shetty are some of the short-listed actors for the role.
Also read: Afshan Ashiq turns from a gifted footballer to a stone-pelter, but why?
What Next?
It is unknown if Ashiq will be able to achieve her lifelong dream of being a footballer. But she will continue to be an inspiration to Indian girls all around.
Author's Take
This biopic is just another in a long line of sports-themed biopics. But this one is not a conventional subject as it does not focus on a major sports figure, which was what Sanjay Grover's plan all along.
