I really want to make a film on football: Shoojit

When I made Vicky Donor (2012), I thought it will connect only to a handful of youngsters as the subject was sperm donation. SHOOJIT SIRCAR, FILMMAKER

By now, it’s a known fact that he loves football and also plays the sport on a regular basis. But interestingly, till date, Shoojit Sircar hasn’t had a tryst with the ‘beautiful game’ on screen. At a masterclass organised in the city by Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association on Sunday, the film-maker admitted that a film on football is on his mind. “I really want to make a film around soccer but unfortunately, I haven’t got the right script for it,” said Sircar, who has always maintained that he can give up films for football.

The October film-maker also added that although he was supposed to direct a film titled 1911 (an inspirational story of late Indian footballer Sibdas Bhaduri, who captained Mohun Bagan in the historic 1911 IFA Shield final when they defeated the East Yorkshire Regiment), the film didn’t happen because the “script didn’t work out the way we wanted it to”.

Although Sircar is considered one of the most sought-after film-makers right now, he revealed that his initial days in the industry weren’t as rosy. “Box-office wise, Yahaan (2005) didn’t work and then another film (Shoebite) of mine didn’t release. So, when I made Vicky Donor (2012), I thought it will connect only to a handful of youngsters as the subject was sperm donation,” he said.

Vis-à-vis the Amitabh Bachchan and Deepika Padukone-starrer Piku (2015) too, Sircar said he didn’t get great response initially. “Many felt that I had made a Bengali film (laughs). People were saying, ‘in almost every scene of the film, there is talk of constipation or toilet’. But my response was, ‘isn’t this also a part of reality?’” he said, adding that his next film is going to be based on freedom fighter, Udham Singh.