There are no enemies in sports,
says filmmaker Kabir Khan
describing why he admires
Paris Olympics silver medallist
Neeraj Chopra for the “dignity
and grace” he displayed while
speaking about gold medallist
Arshad Nadeem from Pakistan.
Khan’s last two films “83” and “Chandu Champion”, both about sporting heroes, are a reflection of his politics and views on patriotism, he said, while giving the example of Chopra who shares a warm friendship with Nadeem despite them being rivals in javelin.
“At the Olympics, the dignity and grace with which our champion Neeraj Chopra spoke about Arshad Nadeem from Pakistan who won the gold medal, shows that there are no enemies in sports,” the filmmaker in an interview.
“Patriotism is about love for your country (but) with nationalism, you need an enemy to prove your love for your country. In sports, everyone is trying to win glory for their country. ‘Chandu Champion’ and ’83’ are extremely patriotic films but they are not at all nationalistic films,” he said.
Last month, Chopra — who won a gold in 2020 Tokyo Olympics in men’s javelin throw — was bested by Nadeem in the Paris Olympics where he settled for a silver medal. In a historic feat, Nadeem earned Pakistan its first individual gold at the Games by setting a world record of 92.97 m.
Asked whether Chopra’s life would make for an interesting biopic, Khan said one has to see how much drama there is in the story for it to translate on the big screen. He, however, is a fan of the track-and-field star as an individual.
“Is he a person who is a perfect role model? Absolutely. I think there is something so dignified, cultured about the way Neeraj Chopra carries himself…
“The way he speaks about issues, the way he conducts himself in competitions, the way he supports other people, the way he stands up for other sports persons, he is really commendable. I am a great fan of Neeraj Chopra as a person,” he said.
“Chandu Champion”, starring Kartik Aaryan, follows the story of India’s first Paralympics gold winner Murlikant Petkar. The film won the best actor and director award at the recently concluded 15th edition of the Indian Film Festival of Melbourne (IFFM).
Film festivals are always a fun space to be in and to win two awards at the gala was a joyful experience for Khan, who called it “a true validation” of one’s work.
Khan, who considers a filmmaker’s political stance an inseparable part of one’s work like a signature, said it is also important for directors to record the times they are living in.
“Your ideology is your signature. As an artist, if your ideology won’t be presented in your films, then what else? They say cinema is a mirror to society but there should also be a record.
“It’s important that we celebrate these achievements and these unique lives… We have always marvelled at how Hollywood brilliantly picks up stories from its recent history and I am so glad that we are also able to do that,” he said.
The director said he would have been sad had he not documented Petkar’s life through his cinema because “these are the heroes that need to be celebrated as they motivate us for years to come”.
Khan is yet to announce his next project and there is a lot of buzz online about him reuniting with Salman Khan for a potential fourth project with the superstar after “Ek Tha Tiger”, “Bajrangi…”, and “Tubelight”.
“Salman and I have done three films together so whenever we meet, there are talks about films. But it’s not necessary that discussion will lead to a film. About ‘Babbar Sher’, I said that I don’t have a title, someone else has it. So I think people just made it up.
“With Tiger and Bajrangi being two such iconic characters, there is excitement about what will come next whenever me and Salman talk but nothing is locked as of now. If something will be there which will excite Salman and we will think of doing it, I will be the first to talk about it,” he said.
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