I want to share notes with Arnie: Jhulan

Jhulan Goswami is thrilled at her docudrama on India’s women cricketers making it to the 1st Arnold Sports Film Festival
Sunil Yash Kalra’s docudrama titled “Poor Cousins of Million Dollar Babies” , which captures the life of India’s women cricketers, has been shortlisted for the 1st Arnold Sports Film Festival. The docu-drama will be screened on March 4 in Columbus, Ohio.Actor, former professional bodybuilder and politician Arnold Schwarzenegger was one of the jurors who shortlisted the film. The star will also present awards to the top winners on March 6. Jhulan Goswami, skipper, India women’s cricket team, who is now in Bangalore attending the National camp, has been part of the project and is thrilled with the news. Excerpts from an interview with Jhulan:
Did you anticipate that your film will make it to this Festival?
No, but needless to say, this is great news. When we began shooting for the film in 2009, we never thought this big. It was important for us to document women’s cricket and that’s what we set out to do.
Tell us more about the film...
Sunil, who has directed and scripted the film, deserves full credit for all his efforts. I’ve been a huge fan of Arnold and I am so proud that the film will be screened at a Festival where he is present as the jury. We shot it all across the globe. From South Africa to England, from India to West Indies, we’ve been filmed everywhere. But the problem with women’s cricket is that there aren’t many clippings available on us. So, we had to make do with what was available. The film traces how I, being a girl from Chakdah, went on to become the captain of the women’s cricket team. Anjum Chopra, in contrast, comes from Delhi and the film traces why she chose cricket as her vocation. Anjum and I are very good friends. Rumeli Dhar and Amita Sharma are also there in the film. The best part is that it captures our spirit when we are going through the highs and lows of life as well as the fun we have in the dressing rooms. I really wish I could be in Ohio now. But since I am attending this camp in Bangalore, I will not be able to do so.
The title of the film, “Poor Cousins of Million Dollar Babies” , is a bit loaded with significance. Do you have anything to say to the Men in Blue or about why women cricketers still remain poor cousins of million dollar babies?
I see the name only as a title. I don’t wish to blame anyone and certainly not the Men in Blue.
Buzz is that yours is the only film from India to have made it to this Festival. Have you shared the news with anyone in particular among the Men in Blue?
I am yet to do that. I’d want everyone in the team to share our joy.
Arnold Schwarzenegger is supposed to be present at the Awards ceremony. Are you pinning your hopes on the film winning an award?
For me, it’s important that the whole world is watching a film about us. Winning or losing isn’t a criterion here. We didn’t make this film eyeing profits. The fact that this docu-drama got selected gives me immense joy.
Considering that you’ve been a Schwarzenegger fan since childhood, do you have anything that you’d want to tell him should you ever meet him personally?
True, I’ve been a huge Schwarzenegger fan. I keep on watching his films. I am bowled over by his strength and attitude . I want to know what his motives were when he got into bodybuilding. Was it passion or a desire for fame? Of course, as a sports personality, I’d want to know what exercises he used to do to keep going. Cricket isn’t that popular a game in his part of the world. I want to know how much he knows about women’s cricket. I’d love to share my field notes with him.
You must be following the World Cup. Your take?
Of course, I want India to win. But at this stage of the game, no one can be called an underdog. It is a pretty open tournament where anything can happen.