Key Points

Directed by Raghav Khanna, the film explores Chand's rise from leading India to victory in the Under-19 World Cup to his decision to leave Indian cricket and move to the United States to continue his career.

Now, ahead of its much-awaited release, the director and Unmukt himself sat down with ANI to share insights.

For Unmukt, the project has been an emotional journey. He compared the experience of attending the premiere to "going into the first game of a tournament," calling it a "very different experience" for him.

"I play cricket, I've always played cricket. I've always sort of... going into the first game of a tournament is a different feel altogether, right? I think similarly, it's going to be like going to the premiere of this documentary on Thursday. But yeah, I mean, I'm very excited for this," Unmukt told ANI.

Reflecting on his move to the United States, he said, "In 2021, I decided to move to America to pursue my cricket. Again, cricket was very new over there... It's myself and a few others who have been the first ones to start this whole cricketing migration, you can say. So a lot of players have moved there now from different parts of the world. I really look forward to that in the next few years; US cricket is also going to be... at the top, playing against the top teams, doing well against them."

Director Raghav Khanna spoke about how a "breakthrough moment" in 2011 inspired him to follow Chand's story closely.

"In 2011, India won the World Cup after many years. And for an entire generation, including myself, that was a breakthrough moment. The very next year, Unmukt, in Australia, scores a flamboyant century in the final and wins the Under-19 World Cup. Immediately, overnight, he becomes a media sensation. What happens next? A few years later, I clearly remember looking at my phone and seeing a notification: 'Unmukt Chand retires from Indian cricket.' That got me thinking--such a bright, prodigious talent. What happened? I realised that there's a story, and there's a story beyond cricket," he said.

Khanna has previously worked on several well-known documentaries, including The Elephant Whisperers, The House of Secrets, The Hunt for Veerappan, and Mumbai Mafia. He is the founder of Riverland Entertainment and has worked with Netflix on multiple major projects.

The documentary is produced by Riverland Entertainment and Tudip Entertainment and is set to be released on September 12.

- ANI