What's the story?
Following his contribution to Aizawl FC’s meteoric rise in Indian Football, club head coach Khalid Jamil is set to be the subject of a new Bollywood Biopic. The northeastern club created history last month when they won the acclaimed I-League with a draw against Shillong Lajong FC.
The context
Aizawl FC’s fairytale journey to the top and the maiden I-League win speaks a lot about Jamil’s efforts in the first year of his time with the club.
According to reports, the movie is likely to be titled ‘Zero to Hero’ based on his journey from being sacked by his previous employers to leading Aizawl to their historic win. Fans can now expect to watch this surreal journey on big screens across the country in the upcoming months.
The heart of the matter
According to sources, Robert Royte, who is the owner of the Aizawl, announced the details of the upcoming biopic during an event organised by a local NGO in Aizawl on World Aids Orphans Day. He disclosed that the film would focus on the life and work of Khalid Jamil after stepping down from Mumbai FC and being appointed by Aizawl.
The head coach’s role could be played by renowned actor, Ajay Devgn. Having played leads in multiple biopics before, this would be Devgn’s first venture into the sports genre in the film industry.
What's next?
According to sources close to Aizawl FC, the aforesaid film is still in its initial stages with negotiations taking place. The upcoming weeks will lead to the larger details being finalised.
Author's take
Bollywood has been home to many sports-oriented productions in the past – ranging from the famous Shah Rukh Khan starer ‘Chak De! India’ which celebrates Indian women’s hockey, to the inspiring Priyanka Chopra starer ‘Mary Kom – a biopic on the legendary Indian boxer.
There has been a substantial increase in the number of movies in this genre after the snowballing successes of these productions. Football has only had so much of representation in Bollywood with ‘Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal’ and ‘Bend It Like Beckham’ weaving foreign contexts into the respective movies.
‘Zero To Hero’ promises to showcase the larger-than-life story of the north-eastern club and their coach will hopefully give more recognition to our very own homegrown talents.
