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Filmmaker Srijit Mukherji Announces Biopic On 12-Toed Heptathlete Swapna Barman

With biopics trending in Bollywood, national award-winning Bengali filmmaker Srijit Mukherji is all set to do another one on 12-toed heptathlete Swapna Barman, who made the nation proud by winning gold at the 2018 Asian Games.

Born in Jalpaiguri, West Bengal, Barman comes from a financially downtrodden family. Her father was a rickshaw driver who has been bed-ridden after having suffered a stroke in 2013 and her mother, on the other hand, worked on a tea estate. While the family suffered from financial crunch, Swapna even struggled with pain that she suffered due to her unusual feet as she could not afford running shoes that were appropriate to her size.

It was after her exceptional victory, winning gold in Asian Games 2018, that Adidas offered to make shoes designed for her exclusively. Post her win, Swapna received support by the GoSport Foundation through the Rahul Dravid Athlete Mentorship Programme.

For her biopic, Srijit Mukherji has roped in actor Sohini Sarkar to play the role of the heptathlete and as per reports, the film will depict the athlete’s story till her performance at the 2018 Asian Games held in Jakarta. The actor will be soon beginning her rigorous workshop to prepare for the role.

Talking about the film, Mukherji said, “The film will focus on her life, struggles and achievements. Swapna has made the nation proud at a young age. From her humble beginning at Jalpaiguri, she could come this far only with support of her parents, her grit and determination.”