On Thursday, The Carrom Queen, a biopic of Kazhima, Chennai's International Carrom Champion, was launched with a pooja ceremony. Randiya Bhuvanesh is all set to portray Kazhima in the biography. The film will also star Kaali Venkat and Komal Sharma and is set to be helmed by Murali.
A sportsperson from North Chennai, Kazhima won the 6th International Carrom Championship, which was held in California, USA. The daughter of an auto-rickshaw driver, she pursued carrom, her father's passion, with the support of her brother. Nihan Entertainments, a Karnataka-based production house, has now taken up her story to make a biopic for the big screen. Nagesh Patil is backing the film under the banner.
The launch event was attended by the actors of the film, Kazhima, as well as the makers of the film. Actor Kaali Venkat, who plays a key role in the film, said, “The story of this film is extremely interesting. It is deeply emotional. Every single person who watches this film will surely shed tears. That’s how impactful the story is.”
Murali, the director of The Carrom Queen, said, "Even though I’ve directed films before, this film is very special to me. When I approached the producer with this real-life story, he immediately agreed and gave the advance. Similarly, Kazhima’s family gave their full support in shaping the script. As I speak on stage now, Kazhima’s father is moved to tears. Truly, the film will make every viewer emotional.”
Kazhima further said, “I come from a very difficult background and have reached this stage today only because of my father and family. When we had no money to attend tournaments, my father would drive his auto day and night to earn the amount needed to take me to competitions. Today, through my success, our hardships have eased, and I’ve even bought my father his own house. If we encourage and motivate every woman and recognise their talent, they can all achieve success. One must never stop trying.”
Lastly, actor Komal Sharma, who is also a squash player, said, “When I heard the story of The Carrom Queen, it felt like I was hearing my own story. The experiences I’ve had in squash are familiar to every sportsperson."
Details about the film's extended cast, crew, plot and release date are yet to be announced by the makers. The film will release in Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi.