Bhubaneswar: A docu-drama on the legendary hockey player Major Dhyan Chand is in the making. It will certainly be interesting viewing about India’s greatest player also known as the ‘Hockey Wizard. The documentary is being made by producer and entrepreneur Joyeeta Roy and Prateek Kumar Mishra. The two have been working tireless on a digital campaign to demand Bharat Ratna for the legendary player. The documentary is being made by ‘Signature 24’ productions will focus on the early life and struggles of Dhyan Chand.
Both Roy and Mishra said they had discussed the project with Dhyan Chand’s son, hockey player Ashok Kumar. Incidentally Ashok is a member of the Indian team that won the bronze medal in the 1972 Munich Olympics and the side that annexed the World Cup at Kuala Lumpur in 1975. They had planned to start shooting in Jhansi and Allahabad in 2020 but it was delayed due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The pre-production for the documentary is now set to begin in June with the producers planning to release it December 3, on the 42nd death anniversary of the legend.
Dhyan Chand is widely regarded as the greatest player in Indian hockey. He was part of the team that won three Olympic gold medals in 1928, 1932 and 1936. His international career lasted from 1926 to 1949 during which he featured in 185 matches and scored 570 goals.
Dhyan Chand was honoured with the Padma Bhushan in 1956. His birthday August 29 is celebrated as National Sports Day in India every year.
The campaign demanding Bharat Ratna for Dhyan Chand was supported by many celebrities including Sourav Ganguly, Olympic hockey gold medallist Gurbux Singh, present and former players like Mir Ranjan Negi and Yuvraj Walmiki and actor Rachel White.