10 July,2023 07:13 AM IST | Mumbai | Upala KBR
A still from Ghoomer
R Balki probably couldn't have asked for a more apt place for the première of his next, Ghoomer. The sports drama - starring Shabana Azmi, Abhishek Bachchan, Saiyami Kher and Angad Bedi - will be premièred in Melbourne, considered the sports capital of Australia. It has been selected as the opening film of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM) that kicks off on August 11.
Ghoomer tells the story of a paraplegic sportsperson, portrayed by Kher, who excels as a cricketer under the guidance of her coach, essayed by Bachchan. For Kher, it's a matter of pride that her movie will be screened in the country of the late Shane Warne, of whom she remains an avid fan. "I couldn't have asked for anything better than going to the land of the great Shane Warne to showcase our film. Playing a sport on screen was always my dream, I have been manifesting it since I started acting. I'm glad it has finally come true," she says.
The première will be attended by Azmi, who had been keen to collaborate with Balki. When he offered her the part of Kher's cricket-obsessed grandmother who encourages the protagonist to follow her dreams against her family's wishes, the senior actor said yes in a heartbeat. "Ghoomer has a delicious part for me. I haven't watched the final cut yet, but it's exciting to do such a variety of roles at this point in my career," says Azmi.
Through the movie, director Balki wanted to go beyond a sports drama to show how people can turn an adversity into an advantage. He shares, "The movie is a tribute to sports and the reservoir of human resilience."
