Rohit raring to release bilingual hockey film

Shaad Ali has much to be concerned about. While he’s diligently and unconditionally focusing on his Sandeep Singh hockey biopic, not too far away from where he’s shooting in Punjab, Rohit Jugraj is making another hockey movie. Rohit is currently busy putting finishing touches on what promises to be a movie on a far bigger canvas.

Titled Khido Khundi, the filmmaker’s bilingual Hindi and Punjabi film is based on a village in Punjab, which has given India as many as 14 Olympic medallists.

Rohit, who has helmed three Punjabi superhits — Jatt James Bond, Sardarji, and its sequel Sardarji 2 with Diljit Dosanjh — says that his movie will shed light on the village that’s made India proud. “Many Olympic gold, silver and bronze medals came from this one village called Sansarpur, Of course, like all good things, the heroes are forgotten now. Khido in the title stands for a ball made of torn clothes, while Khundi means a curved stick. That’s how hockey was born. Ours is a story of two brothers, who come back to the village, and revive a team. And win,” he explains.

It looks like hockey is the flavour of the season for Bollywood, with Reema Kagti’s Akshay Kumar starrer Gold, Shaad’s Diljit starrer Soorma and Rohit’s Khido Kundi releasing in close succession.

Says Rohit, “There are many hockey films being made in the country, but we’re the first to release. And it’s the most definitive one because ours is not about a single person or a single event. It’s about the fierce bravado and heroism underlining our national game.”

He adds, “The sheer passion that’s gone into making Khido Kundi is phenomenal. It makes me want to salute every member of my team, and above all, every hockey player to have played for our country. And believe me, there are many. Most of them sadly unsung and forgotten. My film makes an effort to resurrect some of these prides of the nation.”