Amitabh Bachchan’s perfect portrayal in Jhund movie provides me the happiest day of my life, says Nagpur football coach Vijay Barse

Vijay Barse was basking in glory on Friday as he arrived at Nagpur's Eternity Mall on Friday to watch the premiere of the movie, "Jhund."

Barse, the real-life inspiration for Amitabh Bachchan starrer Jhund, was on the moon when he saw the movie with his family and friends.

Jhund was released in theaters in India on Friday. Bachchan’s character has drawn inspiration from Barse, the man who started slum soccer in India around a couple of decades ago.

“This has been the happiest day of my life. I am completely overwhelmed with the love and affection of people. Amitabh Bachchan has perfectly portrayed my life story in the movie Jhund. I am absolutely thrilled to see a movie based on my life and my contribution to society,” Vijay Barse told Sportskeeda after watching the movie.

Jhund shows the life of the football coach from Nagpur, who decided to use the sport as a means of empowering the slum children into star footballers.

Directed by Nagraj Manjule, Jhund revolves around the life of a football coach from Orange City. Barse wanted to bring in a change in the lives of those with lesser means through the medium of his sport. He wanted to help them stay away from crime and bad habits.

“After watching the movie I can certainly say that whatever I have done in my life for the slum children was exactly shown in the movie. I am amazed to see the beautiful narration in the movie. Hats off to Amitabh Ji and director Nagraj Manjule for doing such a fantastic job on my struggles and my journey. Full credit to both of them and the entire unit for such a wonderful movie,” said Vijay Barse.

Barse was a sports teacher at Nagpur’s Hislop College in the early 2000s. After retiring from his job, he once noticed a few kids kicking around a broken bucket in the rain. He offered them a football, which they gratefully accepted. It changed their lives for the better in a matter of a few years.

Prof Vijay Barse of Nagpur and Amitabh Bachchan. (Picture: Abhijeet Barse)

I met Amjitabh Bachchan only thrice during the making of Jhund: Vijay Barse

Vijay Barse said he met Amitabh Bachchan only three times for Jhund when it was shot in Nagpur a couple of years ago.

“I had a meeting with Amitabh Ji only thrice. Whatever interaction we had, he seemed to be thoroughly professional in his approach. It was a big moment for me and my family. I can't ask for more as a legendary actor like Amitabh Bachchan is doing my role in reel life. For a small person like me, it was a huge honor. I am pretty emotional after watching the movie,” said Barse.

Barse used to gather these slum kids on a playground and realized that as long as these kids were on the field, they were safe from the ills of the world. This is how he thought he could actively contribute towards building the nation’s future.

“I realized that these kids were away from bad habits as long as they were playing on the field. What else can a teacher give? I gave them direction and I am glad my work has been acknowledged by someone and made a movie based on it,” said Barse.

The journey of Zopadpatti Football, later known as Slum Soccer, began in 2002. Kids used to play barefoot with plenty of enthusiasm. The league quickly grew after that as tournaments were held at both the city and district levels. The Slum Soccer League grew into a national phenomenon as its popularity grew.

Barse had no sponsors in the beginning, so he had to fund his mission with his own money. His son Abhijeet, who was studying in the United States at the time, returned to support his father. Abhijeet performed the administration part with aplomb.

A few years ago, Barse said:

“I am a sports teacher. But I am not promoting the development of football. I am promoting development through football.”

Slum Soccer’s national tournament in 2007 was covered by the BBC. Andy Hooks, the then-director of the Homeless World Cup, invited Barse to Cape Town. Barse had the opportunity to meet Nelson Mandela while in South Africa.

“I received the biggest recognition for my work that day when he put a hand on me and said, "My son, you're doing a great job’,” he shared.

Barse perhaps looked happier on Friday as he saw himself on screen in the form of Amitabh Bachchan.