Bollywood film wallahs are reeling under the fever of biopics off late. Celebrating the well-decorated heroes, including some unsung ones too, these genre has been churning out smashing hits one after the other. Sample MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, Neerja, Dangal and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. Their ginormous success at the ticket windows is further testimony, the audience has been left wanting for more such real-life stories.
Cut to Soorma. The film is the tale of former Indian hockey captain Sandeep Singh. Directed by Shaad Ali, who has helmed hit films like Saathiya and Bunty Aur Babli in the past, the sports drama stars Diljit Dosanjh in the shoes of Singh, and Taapsee Pannu as his love interest and a hockey player herself. While details about the cast and the plot have been talked about several times, it is still not clear as to why the title was chosen to be 'Soorma.' In a recent media interaction, Diljit reveals the name is the celebration of Sandeep's vigour.
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For those who walked in late, in August 2006, Sandeep was seriously injured after being hit by an accidental gunshot in Shatabadi train. He was on his way to join the Indian National Hockey Team due to leave for the World Cup in Germany two days later. He was almost paralyzed and in a wheelchair for two years of his life. Talking on the lines of Sandeep's injury, Diljit revealed,
"Wheelchair par baithkar dene wale shots bahot mushkil hote hai, kyunki aap uss zone me chale jaate ho. Sandeep kaise wheelchair se uthkar dobara hockey khelna chaalu karte hai ye badi baat hoti hai isliye iss film ka naam Soorma hai. Bahot kam loggon me jazbaa hota hai ki wo iss stage se bahar nikal paate hai"
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(The most difficult shots are the one while sitting in a wheelchair because you enter that zone. How Sandeep recovers from his injury and wheelchair phase and starts playing hockey again is a big deal which is why the film is named Soorma. Very few people have it in them that they get over this phase.)
Soorma also features actor Angad Bedi as Bikramjeet, Sandeep's elder brother and a hockey player. Bikramjeethimself will be seen doing a cameo appearance as a member of the Pakistani hockey team. The movie will arrive in cinemas on July 13, 2018.
(With inputs from Deepika Sharma)