Renuka Shahane "Heartbroken" Over Reports Of Chakda Xpress Being Shelved
Days after reports of Anushka Sharma-starrer Chakda Xpress being shelved started doing the rounds on social media, actor Renuka Shahane has responded to the development with shock.
The actor-filmmaker, who played a retired sportsperson in Chakda Xpress, told NDTV, "I didn't know. I am very shocked".
Directed by Prosit Roy, Chakda Xpress is inspired by the life of former Indian women's cricket captain Jhulan Goswami. It was a Netflix movie and produced by Anushka Sharma's brother Karnesh Ssharma's Clean Slate Filmz.
Renuka Shahane, who shot for the film in 2022, said she was sad about the reported development, calling Chakda Xpress a "beautiful, impactful" film made with "a very big heart".
"I am totally heartbroken. Basically, because I think everyone has put in so much effort. Anushka has also worked on herself so much for it. And whatever scenes I did were so powerful and so impactful, especially for women in sports.
"Jhulan Goswami is iconic and coming from a very poor house and making it big and yet the kind of discrepancy that still exists between men's cricket and women's cricket and all other sports, I would say. Chakda Xpress had that core quality of sportsmanship," Renuka Shahane told NDTV.
Speaking about Anushka Sharma's performance as legendary Indian cricketer Jhulan Goswami, Renuka Shahane said, "She's really done such a good job of creating that character, and it's so difficult to do because when icons are there in front of us and you have to perform as them it is even more challenging."
She revealed that most of her scenes were with Anushka Sharma, and while dubbing, she got to watch parts of the film. "It's shot well, it's really well made. I was so looking forward to it. I wish there was some way such a beautiful film could be salvaged."
The actor also praised Prosit Roy, calling him "such a fine director", and said she was proud of being part of a project that spotlighted the untold struggles and passion of women athletes.
"You can never take the field off the sportsperson," she said of her own role and its emotional depth.
Shot in 2022 and reportedly completed in 2023, Chakda Xpress was meant to be a powerful tribute to the life and career of Jhulan Goswami. But with the film now shelved indefinitely, those who worked on it like Renuka and Dibyendu Bhattacharya are left only with the memories of what could have been.
The makers of the film are yet to officially confirm the status of the film.
Trending News