A teenager moves in from the heart of the hinterlands to Mumbai’s concrete jungle and overcomes overwhelming odds by discovering the Tiger within an underdog. Walk along Sooraj and be part of Chidiakhana which is our world. Every animal, big or small, has its place in the jungle! The challenge is to find it!
“That is the essence of the film’s current poster”, comments director Manish Tiwary.
After Dil Dosti Etc and Issaq, ace director Manish Tiwary’s latest offering Chidiakhana is all set for a June 2 release. Produced by National Film Development Corporation (NFDC) and presented by Bharati Studios, the film will be released by Shiladitya Bora’s Platoon One.
“The current poster sees the protagonist Ritwik Sahore and his friend the bubbly Avneet Kaur, on one side and the versatile Ravi Kishan, Rajeshwari Sachdev and Prashant Narayanan on the other. The centre stage sees the team of young footballers whose goal is to win their school playground back. The Chidiakhana team is motivated by Sooraj, who with his strength of character and football skills proves that there is a tiger in every underdog.
“Chidiakhana is the story of an underdog who makes his mark thanks to his passion for football, and in the process, not just empowers himself, but also his friends, and his educational institution and turns enemies into friends. Chidiakhana is a story of team spirit and togetherness, and how when small drops come together, can become the ocean,” avers Manish Tiwary.
Manish Tiwary is particularly passionate about the casting choices for this film. “Ritvik Sahore seemed the perfect fit for the lead character Sooraj, as his innocence reflects in his demeanor. Avneet Kaur, Sooraj’s crush, is like a breath of fresh air. Rajeshwari Sachdev works well as the mother who has left everything to safeguard her child. Prashant Narayanan stands out as the gunda with the golden heart. Ravi Kishan, Govind Namdev and Aanjjan Srivastava play their characters with amazing conviction. Each of the boys from the football team comes with their strengths, weaknesses and character. Hence, Chidiakhana, as seen through the eyes of the protagonist,” elaborates Manish Tiwary.
Interestingly, Manish Tiwary, who hails from Bihar, was educated at Cambridge University, UK, and Yale University, USA.
The film sees Sooraj hailing from Bihar and coming to Mumbai and finding his foothold in the labyrinth of this city.
Shiladitya Bora of Platoon One is happy on distributing the film. Says he, “Being an avid fan of Dil Dosti etc I was very happy and proud to get associated with the distribution of the NFDC film.
It has strong performances coming from both young and seasoned actors such as Ritvik Sahore, Avneet Kaur, Prashant Narayanan, Rajeshwari Sachdev, Govind Namdev and Ravi Kishan.
You feel a passion for the game of football coming through.
Chidiakhana is a classic underdog story. You come out rooting for the entire team that made this beautiful film possible.“
Chidiakhana releases in theatres on June 2.
