Dev Starrer Golondaaj To Make History In Bengali Cinema

Bengali superstar Dev starrer period movie Golondaaj will release on August 13, 2021. The teaser launched on Bengali new year’s day has spurred excitement amongst the fans. The movie is historical fiction based on the life of Nagendra Prasad Sarbadhikary. He is often referred to as the Father of Indian Football.

Director Dhrubo Banerjee, who created the Sona Da franchise and gave two superhit films Guptodhoner Sondhane and Durgeshgorer Guptodhon, is back with his larger than life canvas. SVF Entertainment Pvt. Ltd has produced the movie.

Golondaaj is not a historical representation of Nagendra Prasad, but it showcases the tales of this extraordinary man to inspire us. The teaser shows him as a larger-than-life character, a portrayal that goes well with the lead actor Dev.

The cast also includes Anirban Bhattacharya, Ishaa Saha, Indrashish Ray, and Srikanta Acharya.

Dev recently admitted on Twitter that Golondaaj is undoubtedly the most physically challenging film of his 15-year long career. He got injured multiple times during the shooting. He broke his toes while playing football barefoot, hurt his neck, and sprained his arm. Yet, he endured this experience.

The film shooting halted because of lockdown. After one year, the shooting resumed and it is slated to release on Independence day weekend. The expectation is high from the movie. From the teaser, it seems that this big-budget sports drama will be an important movie in the history of Bengali cinema.

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Who Was Nagendra Prasad Sarbadhikari?

Nagendra Prasad Sarbadhikari is known as the Father of Indian Football. He was born on 27 August 1869 in Kolkata, West Bengal, India, in the renowned Sarbadhikari family. His father, Dr. Surya Coomar Sarbadhikari, was a surgeon.

It was September 1877. Calcutta was still the capital of British India. His mother, Hemlata Devi, had the habit of taking a dip in the holy river Ganga to start the day. The 10-year-old Nagendra was returning home with his mother in a horse-drawn carriage.

He stopped the carriage to see some British soldiers playing a game with a round ball at the Calcutta FC ground. While he was watching the game, the ball rolled towards him, and one of the soldiers asked him to kick it back. It was the definitive moment when an Indian kicked a football for the first time.

Sarbadhikari narrated the whole incident to his classmates at Hare School in North Kolkata. In his excitement to play the game, he convinced his friends to buy a ball. But given their inexperience and lack of knowledge, the boys purchased a rugby ball.

The boys had no idea about the rules, but a sizeable crowd gathered to watch the game on the school premises. Among the spectators was Professor GA Stack, who peered from the balcony of neighboring Presidency College.

Amused, he came down and pointed out to the boys that they had bought a rugby ball. Stack deeply moved by their enthusiasm, took it upon himself to teach them the basic rules. He also promised to gift them a football. And thus it started.

Sarbadhikari had natural leadership and organizational abilities that meant he began to play an active role in popularizing football among students.

The enthusiasm of the boys attracted the European teachers of the school and adjacent colleges. They encouraged Nagendra Prasad and his companions to promote the game among students in and around Calcutta.

Around this time, Sarbadhikari founded The Boys’ Club, the first football club in India with only Indian members.

Ten years old, Nagendra Prasad soon became the shining light in Indian football. He often took part in matches against teams from Presidency College.

Later, he formed a string of sporting clubs in Calcutta in the 1880s. Founded in 1884, the Wellington Club became Sarbadhikari’s most major project before leaving college.

Soon trouble broke out in the club regarding the inclusion of Moni Das, a player from lower castes. Some members of the club protested about playing with this man as he was from the lower caste.

Sarbadhikari refused to buckle down under the pressure of a narrow-minded mentality. Its founder dissolved the club to establish Sovabazar Club in 1887. The club became the first significant football club in India. Moni Das became the first member of this new club. Through football, Sarbadhikari also played a role in social reform.

They were the first native club to participate in proper football tournaments. Sarbadhikari challenged the British monopoly on the field. Sovabazar Club became the first Indian team to defeat the British in a football game. They won the Trades Cup in 1892 with a stunning 2-1 win over the East Surrey Regiment.

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He was married to the daughter of Ananda Krishna Deb of the Sovabazar Raj family.

Nagendra Prasad Sarbadhikari passed away on 17 January 1940. By that time, India had already developed a bustling football scene, and Indian clubs had toppled British regiment teams. Sarbadhikari was successful in his dream of spreading the game among the Indian masses.