Indian Women’s ODI and Test team captain Mithali Raj announced her retirement from all formats of the game on Wednesday, June 8. The cricketer, whose life story would be told through the Bollywood film Shabaash Mithu, recently had a one-on-one conversation with actress Taapsee Pannu, who will be portraying her on-screen. The cricket reveals that although she enjoyed the actress’ previous films, she was a little apprehensive about her playing the role of a cricketer. During the session held by Femina, Mithali said, “I have seen your work in Naam Shabana and Pink, and I thoroughly enjoyed the movies, especially the way you have essayed both roles. So, when the production house told me that you were playing me in the movie, I was confident that you would play the role well. But, to be honest, I was a little apprehensive because it is a movie based on a cricketer’s life; would you work on your skills enough? But, having watched your other sports films, I realised that you would give your best to this role, too.”
During the interactive session, she also asked Taapsee why she took up a film centred around an Indian woman cricketer. She answered, “I think it was more like the film chose me. I also wanted to do this because very little has been spoken about something that required so much struggle to reach where it has. When we call ourselves a cricket-loving nation, do we mean only a men’s-cricket-loving nation? Or a cricket-regardless-of-the-gender-loving nation? These were the questions that I wanted to raise, and this film became a medium for that.”
Taapsee had earlier put out a post on social media stating that she hoped she made the ace cricketer proud seeing herself on screen. Asked how she really feels about her life becoming a movie, Mithali answers, ‘surreal.’
“It feels surreal that people are basing a movie on my journey, on my life as a cricketer. I have seen women’s cricketers go from being obscure to becoming household names. It has been an eventful and inspiring journey, and I hope that this movie inspires women to take up sports and pursue what they want to do in life,” she shared.
Shabaash Mithu, directed by Srijit Mukherji will release on July 15.
