Mumbai: streaming platform ZEE5 unveiled Friday the first look of upcoming non-fiction Break Point. The series is based on lives of tennis stars Leander Paes-Mahesh Bhupathi. Break Point is helmed by filmmaker couple Nitesh Tiwari and Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari. This seven-part series traces the on and off-court partnership between the two Indian tennis legends. The makers revealed the first poster of the ZEE5 original series, which shows Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi sporting an intense look.
Ashwiny and Nitesh for the first time are co-directing a project. They said they are thrilled to bring on screen the untold story of Paes and Bhupathi. They were the first Indian pair to win at the Wimbledon in 1999. In fact the two went on to win a number of doubles Grand Slam titles together.
“It’s great to bring to screen a series like this on a home-grown video streaming platform like ZEE5. Working with icons like Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes has been surreal. To bring their untold story to screen is something that we will cherish forever,” Ashwiny and Nitesh said in a joint statement.
Nicknamed the ‘Indian Express’, Paes and Bhupathi played together from 1994 till 2006. They reunited for their second stint from 2008 to 2011. The two also had a public fallout but they have put that behind them.
Paes, 48, said he enjoyed taking a trip down memory lane while shooting for Break Point.
“Mahesh and my on-court partnership was widely covered, and our off-court chemistry was largely speculated. This is the first time that our fans will get to see and hear it all, first-hand. Mahesh and I worked really hard to put India on the top of world tennis. We are glad that we are getting a chance to present our story to the world, like never before,” Paes said.
Bhupathi, 47, is confident that the series will surely be a treat for the audience and their fans. “It is no secret that I am reserved when it comes to communicating. So this is a big step for me to relive the journey and put it all out there in the most candid and honest manner. But, at the same time, I am happy that our fans will get to see our journey which was a mix of sweat, perseverance, brotherhood and at times blood and tears as well,” Bhupathi said.
Break Point will premiere on ZEE5 soon.