Sachin in Satish Rajwade’s Sanngto Aika

Film on Assam girls who are ‘bending it like Beckham’

At a time when the country is in the grip of World Cup fever, a film brings out the inspiring tale of 40-odd girls from poor, agrarian families who are ‘bending it like Beckham’ in the hope that football will kick them out of drudgery.
Soccer Queens of Rani is about the passion of these girls from Rani area near Guwahati along Assam’s border with Meghalaya. And they have to thank Hem Das, a veteran coach, who spends his own money to teach football to girls like them.
Das had initially gone to the area in search of young boys interested in playing football, but found that more girls were in fact flocking to him to learn the sport. While narrating the stories of the girls, the film also captures the socio-economic life of the area they come from, thereby trying to show how fruits of modern development have not been equitably reached all the people.
The film’s subject is also important in the context of North-East India, where football is a passion and states like Manipur and Mizoram and clubs like Shillong Lajong FC have excelled on the national scene.
The documentary by critic-cum-film-maker Utpal Borpujari is made for Rajya Sabha Television. The 26-minute film was commissioned by RSTV channel as part of a series on developmental and inspirational stories of modern India. The film is also about the dedication of Das, an ex-Assam player who runs the Young Star Football Coaching Club. “Das spends a major portion of his earnings in going about 20 days a month to Rani to teach football to these girls, and even buying kits for them,” says Borpujari. Many of these girls have made it to the state squads for Under-14 and Under-17 national school tournaments. The film, apart from focusing on the story of aspirations of a bunch of young, underprivileged girls, also focuses on how individuals can play a role in giving shape to the nation’s future, even if in small ways.

— PTI