‘Shabaash Mithu’ is a celebration of Indian Women Cricket, say Mithali and Taapsee

Hyderabad: “The films no one does come to me. It may be because of several reasons. Or, maybe because of the snowball effect of characters I portrayed in earlier movies. Whatever may be the reason, that fact is that the roles other actors are scared of doing land in my lap,” said software engineer-turned-actor Taapsee […]

Hyderabad: “The films no one does come to me. It may be because of several reasons. Or, maybe because of the snowball effect of characters I portrayed in earlier movies. Whatever may be the reason, that fact is that the roles other actors are scared of doing land in my lap,” said software engineer-turned-actor Taapsee Pannu while interacting with Shubhraa Maheshwari, Chairperson of FICCI Ladies Organisation (FLO), Hyderabad Chapter.

Taapsee Pannu and Mithali Raj, the face of Indian Women’s Cricket, were in a conversation with Shubhraa Maheshwari in a session held in The Park in the city recently on ‘Women in Sports — Struggle and Success’. It was a well-attended session, more than 200 FLO members assembled to listen to two distinguished women sports personalities.

---

Welcoming the gathering Shubhraa Maheshwari said that the will to prepare for winning matters the most. “These two are incredible sportswomen in India. Their respective journeys, struggle, and achievements are a great inspiration to many,” she added.

“I am always very frank in revealing my mind. This frankness and my honesty are very well-received in the industry. It also landed me many good roles,” Taapsee said. “If you want to achieve what you have not achieved before, you must do what you have not done before. This has been my funda. And I am good with what I have got so far. I give my best to whatever I do. If you pull me down, I bounce back,” she added.

Being one of the early women cricketers in the country, Mithali didn’t have any mentors to look up to, she shared. “I mentored myself. When I had to take tough decisions in the field, my father used to help me. He was like a mentor for me. My father was more of a cricketer than a friend in guiding me through the sport,” said Mithali who picked up the sport “watching my brother play”.

It was tough to convince her parents as it was known in those days as a gentleman’s sport. People didn’t recognise the sport and there was no money. “Knowing well that it was an unknown sport, I ventured into it – which was an adventurous decision. I am big on my commitment and sincerity for the sport,” she said.

The media played its role in popularising women’s cricket. Televising the matches earned it recognition, she added.

Mithali’s journey in the sport made it a viable career for women. She asked mothers to encourage their daughters to pursue the sport of their choice. Women’s cricket must be celebrated, she said, adding that the forthcoming movie ‘Shabaash Mithu’ is going to do just that.