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Experience the compelling life of Indian Grandmaster Surya Sekhar Ganguly, India's first chess biopic, in Pathikrit Basu’s "Dabaru." Follow the remarkable journey of a chess prodigy turned an Arjuna Award Winner, as his legacy, strategy, intellect, and determination unfold in this captivating cinematic tribute that is one of it’s kind.
Portrait of a Grandmaster :
Surya Sekhar Ganguly, born on February 24, 1983, is an esteemed Indian chess grandmaster with a peak ELO rating of 2676 in July 2016. Achieving International Master status at 16 and grandmaster at 19, Ganguly boasts a remarkable medal tally of 40 gold, 21 silver, and 6 bronze across National and International tournaments. He led India to second place in the Asian Nations Online Cup 2020. Ganguly's recent triumphs include gold at the Hunan International Open (2019) and World Team Championship in Astana (2019). Recognitions include the Arjuna Award (2005), "Bangabhusan" (2015), and "Khel Samman" (2013) from West Bengal's government.
The film's production house, Windows Production House, often known for their melodramatic approach and the didactic parables of Bengali middle -class household is taking on this film as a challenge to portray the crisis of Surya Sekhar’s life and mixing it with the intriguing drama that sports provides.
The movie is being produced by Nandita Roy and Sanjay Agarwal. In their statement, they described "Dabaru" as the inspirational story of a Bengali boy from a local community in North Kolkata who defied all odds to make his mark in the world of chess. The movie aims to capture the vibrant life and struggles of Surya Sekhar Ganguly on his path to becoming a chess grandmaster.
The trailer has already received numerous positive responses from different film critics for its rhythmic use of music and showcasing chess as analogy of life when the whole plethora of Indian films are crowded by Football and Cricket.
Brilliant Cast And Crew of Dabaru, India's First Chess Biopic
Pathikrit Basu has proved himself to be a potent filmmaker with his non-conventional approach towards filmmaking by his latest “Kachher Manush” which gathered acclaim from both critics and viewers. So, the audiences going in to see this movie can be reassured that their experience is in safe hands. The film’s screenplay is written by Aritra Banerjee ( aka known for Aritra’s Gyan) , a popular cinephile youtuber who has become rather an unanimous face for Bengali audiences to put their trust into when it comes to which films to watch. The dialogues are written by Arpan Dutta who has brought dramatic intensity in the scenes which is evident from the trailer itself.
The cast of the film is stacked with seasoned veterans who will elevate the film where Rituparna Sengupta is portraying the role of the Surya Sekhar’s mother with Windows Productions following her work in Belasuru. Koushik Sen is set to play the coach, while Dipankar Dey, Chiranjit Chakraborty, Sankar Chakraborty, and Biswanath Basu will take on supporting roles.
The Gambit of Daabaru:
The film had its premiere on 11th May at Priya Cinema Hall in Kolkata, West Bengal where various known faces including M Dibyendu Barua, GM Deep Sengupta, GM Sandipan Chanda, IM Arghyadip Das, IM Nisha Mohota, and Chess Coordinator for the movie Samriddhaa Ghosh and Arindam Mukherjee were present to showcase their support and love along with the family of Surya Sekhar Ganguly towards the thriving Bengali film and praised it for it’s realistic yet intense portrayal of a warrior of the board.
The film has already earned overwhelming response among the general audience who have lauded for it’s portrayal of Surya Sekhar’s dramatic personal life intertwining his hardships surrounding the chessboard along with a tense, gripping, emotional climax giving closure.
With acclaimed chess dramas like "The Queen's Gambit" and "Searching for Bobby Fischer" inspiring audiences worldwide, the time is ripe for an Indian entry into this niche genre. India has an rich chess heritage, yet it remains largely unexplored on the silver screen. A well-crafted cinematic tale celebrating Surya's greatest triumphs and challenges could not only entertain but instill cultural pride. If done right, "Dabaru" could open doors for more underdog sports stories from India to find global appeal and more importantly encourage the parents to encourage their children to play chess. The chess pieces are in place, the board is set - “Dabaru” has made the move, now its simply our turn to embrace the cinematic love that the makers have showered upon us.
The film has already released on 10th May. It is running successfully at your nearby theatres.
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