SVF

Dhrubo happy to see Dev’s enthusiasm for football

We already know Dev will play Nagendra Prasad Sarbadhikari, the man who is called the father of Indian football, in Dhrubo Banerjee’s next directorial ‘Golondaaz’. The magnum opus is being produced by SVF.

Keeping in sync with the traditional Bangaliyana and following the historical traits like his last two films, Dhrubo’s story is inspired by real-life incidents from the period of Bengal renaissance. Sounds exciting right! The director himself is pretty much excited as well.

“I have been trying to rediscover the lost pride in Bengalis. People know about the Bengali renaissance but are not aware of the contribution of this man. He is completely forgotten. My film is not a biopic but a means of creating a movie based on Nagendra and the times. Every Bengali must know about him. The present generation does not know much about Sarbadhikary, how he introduced the game and popularized it among Bengalis. My movie will weave the tale with references from real-life events” said Dhrubo whose two Guptodhan franchise films were runaway hits.

The director is also pretty much impressed to see Dev’s enthusiasm while practicing the game with former Indian football team captain Bhaichung Bhutia for the film.

‘Bhaichung is a tough taskmaster and I am grateful to him. I am practicing under his watchful eyes every morning. Though it is physically taxing, I am enjoying every moment,’ said Dev.

This film will also mark Dev’s return to SVF after the 2017 blockbuster ‘Amazon Obhijaan’. For years, they have ruled the commercial space of Bengali cinema and now the hit jodi is set to weave magic yet again. Interestingly, Dev has never been part of a football movie.

While the pre-production work is already underway, the period drama will be shot in and around Kolkata. The shooting will start from January next year.

Nagendra Prasad Sarbadhikari was the founder of many sports clubs in Kolkata in the 1880s, including the famous Sovabazar Club which, an iconic sports institution of that era.