'22 yards' premiered at the 2018 Bay Area South Asian Film Festival but like any other indie film in India, it had its share of struggles and could make it to cinemas only early this year.
Director Ms Mitali Ghoshal believes if big brand names of the industry get behind such projects, there would be more content-oriented films.
“It was a huge struggle. There are not too many people who encourage new filmmakers and put their money in content-driven films,” she told SBS Hindi.
Barun Sobti, a well-known television star plays the main lead in the film along with Rajit Kapoor, Amartya Ray, and Chaiti Ghoshal.
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‘22 Yards’, a film about the lesser known side of cricket
SBS Hindi
09:51
Poster of Film 22 Yards Source: MS Productions
Ms Ghoshal says the film gives an insight into the little known world of sports agents.
It is based on characters and events, which she herself had witnessed as a sports journalist.
The film shows how the business of cricket works.
Starting from the sponsors, agents, administrative functions to the media to how finally a player is selected for the team.
"I have covered international cricket for many years so I had good knowledge about the nuances of the subject," added Ms Ghoshal.
Ms Ghoshal spoke in detail about her journey from being a sports journalist to now a filmmaker.
She also has a documentary on cricketing champion Sourav Ganguly called ‘Warrior Prince’ to her credits. She shares it was while she was working on Ganguly's documentary, the seeds for this film were sown.
Amartya Ray, Chaiti Ghoshal, Barun Sobti, Rajit Kapur in Film 22 Yards Source: MS Productions
While the film struggled to get a released in India, it won many hearts in Russia. Russia’s love for Indian film is not new but it was an unusual success for an indie film. It got the same response in Kazakhstan too.
The filmmaker says the film gives a very clear message of not to give up.
Ms Ghoshal said, “If a film must have a message, then I would call it a comeback film. No matter what happens in your life, you make a comeback.”
