Hindi
Sports can only be promoted if the govt and corporate houses step in, say filmmakers
NEW DELHI: Even as films on sports remain a sprinkle despite announcements by the government for promoting sports, actor Nafisa Ali has said the corporate houses and the union and state governments have to join the effort to promote sports.
She said she was saddened that corporate houses were concentrating only on a few sports like cricket, football, tennis or badminton, and no efforts were being made to explore the talent available in smaller towns in the country.
Nafisa was talking to indiantelevision.com after the screening of the film ‘Khwaabb’ which marks the directorial debut of Zaid Ali Khan, son of renowned shooter and Arjuna Award winner Moraad Ali Khan who has produced the film. Nafisa stars in the film along with newcomers Navdip Singh and Simer Motiani.
Interestingly, this week marked the limited release of two films on sports: Zaid Ali Khan’s ‘Khwaabb’ which is being released in just a few cities, and Amole Gupte’s ‘Hawaa Hawwai’ about roller skating which has been released nationally.
So far, very few films have been made on sports, and names that immediately come to mind are those of Nagesh Kukunoor’s ‘Iqbal’ about cricket, Shimit Amin’s 2007 ‘Chak De! India’ about hockey, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s real-life drama ‘Bhag Milkha Bhag’ about athlete Milkha Singh, children’s film ‘Goal’ by Gulbahar Singh about football, and Aamir Khan’s ‘Lagaan’ which touched on cricket only as part of the drama.
‘Khwaabb’ is about athletics and swimming, but also sends out a strong message on behalf of those sports aspirants who are unable to make it to international tournaments despite proving their talent at the local or even the district level.
Stressing the need for promoting such films, Zaid said that the film had got tax exemption only in Delhi. It was also being released in Mumbai, Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, Pune, and Dubai with a total of 60 to 70 prints but may be released later in the rest of the country.
He said the main aim of the film was to inspire aspirants, and therefore even the music of the film including the title song by Sonu Nigam had an inspirational quality.
“It was a real challenge to shoot some underwater sporting action in India but we could capture some scintillating action scenes with the experience of Aharon Rothschild, our cinematographer from the United States.”
He was confident that film will work well with young children and the main subject will click with the audiences.
He said that the film was shot at seven different locations including Jamshedpur, Morna in Uttar Pradesh, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Delhi, Faridabad and Dubai.
Both he and his father Moraar said publicity had been done both on television channels as well as on digital media and social websites. “It is important to bring awareness amongst the masses about the condition of Olympic sports in India; ‘Khwaabb’ is a step in that direction. Everyone rejoices in winning, but it is the journey towards winning a medal which needs the real support”, said Moraad.
Asked about what he planned to do in future, he said he would now like to attempt something for television as he felt the future of entertainment was on the small screen, but would come back to filmmaking.
He said in an answer to a question about his comment that ‘Conventional Bollywood is very calculative’ that there was no film culture for independent filmmakers and even the government did not give much encouragement unless some big names were involved. He said he had preferred making a debut as an independent filmmaker because of lack of support from the studios, but had got good support from Salma Khan who had released his music, and shooter Abhinav Bindra.
Under the banner of Bullseye productions, “Khwaabb” is a realistic depiction of the Indian sporting scenario focusing on swimming and athletics. It captures the dream and emotions of aspiring sportsmen. ‘Khwaabb’ is a story about the birth of a dream, of ambition and the fierce passion to achieve that dream amidst unceasing tribulations.
It is also about the way sheer, raw talent gets wasted or destroyed by corrupt and power hungry sports administrators of our country.
Releasing the music of the film, Salman said: “I have played almost all kinds of sports. I have done swimming, played football. I even used to play cricket, and I strongly feel that sports should be encouraged in the nation, and if there are no facilities for training, how will our sportspersons perform?”
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The title track is sung by Sonu Nigam, composed by acclaimed musician Sandeep Chowta. The album has a rustic fun track “TV ki Jai Ho” sung by Kailash Kher and a soft love ballad “Shamein” sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan and Shreya Ghoshal. Both songs are composed by Sajjad Ali Chandwani. Young and extremely talented Amal Mallik has scored the soundtrack of the film. Top international drummer Virgil Donati has played for the title track, the lyrics for which have been penned by Sameer.
Gupte told indiantelevision.com that his film was not only motivational and inspirational, but even showed how those who failed to get any help could attempt to reach their goals on their own.
He hoped the film would inspire others to make films on sports and encourage worthy aspirants. His main cast including son Partho Gupte, Saqib Saleem and Pragya demonstrated their skating skills at I-Skate in Gurgaon to promote the film. The film also stars Makrand Deshpande among others.
Answering a question, Amole said it is easy to work with children. “You just need to understand them and let them be comfortable with you”. He had got inspired to make this film while escorting Parth for skating classes, he added. He said it was a film about people who dare to dream and then work to fulfill that dream.
Partho said, “My dad, the director, never scolds me on the sets and it is very interesting to work with him”. Performing the role of coach in the movie, Saqib Saleem said, “Sharing the sets with Partho was fun, and working under the captainship of Amole Gupte helps you learn a lot”.
The song ‘Kuch Sapne Sone Nahin Dete’ summarises the theme of the film, produced by Fox Star Studios.
Amole had earlier co-directed ‘Taare Zameen Par’ with Aamir Khan, and directed ‘Stanley Ka Dabba’ starring his son Partho.
In a music industry that often rewards speed, spectacle, and instant recall, Navjot Ahuja’s journey feels refreshingly different. His story is not built on noise. It is built on patience, discipline, emotional honesty, and a quiet commitment to becoming better with every passing year. After 14 years of struggle, learning, performing, and writing, Navjot stands today as an artist whose success has not changed his centre. If anything, it has only made his purpose clearer.
For Navjot, music has never been about chasing fame alone. It has always been about expression. It is about writing more truthfully, singing more skillfully, understanding himself more deeply, and becoming a kinder human being in the process. That rare clarity is what gives his journey its beauty.
Where It All Began: A Writer Before a Singer
Indian singer and songwriter Navjot Ahuja’s musical journey began in the most familiar of places: school assemblies. But even then, what was growing inside him was not only the desire to sing. It was the need to write.
Long before he saw himself as a performer, he had already discovered the emotional release that writing offered him. For Navjot, words became the first true channel for feeling. Songwriting came before singing because writing was the only way he could let emotions flow through him fully. That inner pull shaped his artistic identity early on.
Like many young musicians, he sharpened his craft by creating renditions of popular songs.
Those experiments became his training ground. But the turning point came in 2012, when he wrote his first original song. That moment did not just mark the beginning of songwriting. It marked the beginning of self-definition.
A Calling He Did Not Chase, But Accepted
What makes the latest Indian singer-songwriter Navjot’s story especially compelling is the way he describes his relationship with music. He does not frame it as a career he aggressively pursued. In his own understanding, music was not something he chose. It was something that chose him.
There was a time when he imagined a very different future for himself. He wanted to become a successful engineer, like many young people shaped by ambition and conventional expectations. But life had a different script waiting for him. During his college years, around 2021, music entered his life professionally and began taking a firmer shape.
That shift was not driven by image-building or industry ambition. It came from acceptance. Navjot embraced the fact that music had claimed him in a way no other path could. That sense of surrender continues to define the artist he is today.
An Artist Guided by Instinct, Not Influence
Unlike many singers who speak openly about idols, icons, and musical role models, Navjot’s creative world is built differently. He does not believe his music comes from imitation or inherited influence. He listens inward.
He has never considered himself shaped by ideals in the traditional sense. In fact, he admits that he does not particularly enjoy listening to songs, especially his own. His decisions as a songwriter and singer come from instinct. He writes what feels right. He trusts what his inner voice tells him. He positions his music according to what he honestly believes in, not what trends demand.
That creative independence gives his work a distinct emotional sincerity. His songs do not feel calculated. They feel alive.
The Long Years of Invisible Struggle
Every artist carries a chapter of struggle, and Navjot’s was long, demanding, and deeply formative. One of the biggest challenges he faced was building continuity as the best new indian singer songwriter in an era where musical collaboration is increasingly fluid.
For emerging singers, especially those trying to build with a band, consistency can be difficult. Instrumentalists today have more opportunities than ever to freelance and perform with multiple artists. While that growth is positive and well deserved, it can make things harder for singers who are still trying to establish a steady team and sound around their work.
For Navjot, one of the most difficult phases came during 2021 and 2022, when he was doing club shows almost every day. It was a period of relentless performance, but not always personal fulfillment. He was largely singing covers because clubs were not open to original songs that audiences did not yet know.
For a new Indian singer and songwriter, that can be a painful compromise. To perform constantly and still not have the freedom to share your own voice requires not just resilience, but restraint.
“Khat” and the Grace of Staying Unchanged
After 14 years of effort, Navjot’s new love song Khat became a defining milestone. Professionally, he acknowledges that the song changed how society viewed him as a musician. It strengthened his place in the public eye and altered his standing in meaningful ways.
Yet personally, he remains unchanged.
That is perhaps the most striking part of his story. Navjot says his routine is still the same. His calm is still the same. His writing process is still the same. He does not want success or failure to interfere with the purity of his art. For him, emotional detachment from public outcomes is essential because the moment an artist becomes too attached to validation, the writing begins to shift.
His joy comes not from numbers, but from the attempt. If he has tried to improve his skill today, if he has written his heart out more honestly than before, then he is at peace.
Growth, Not Glory, Remains the Real Goal
Even now, Navjot is not consumed by labels such as singles artist, performer, or digital success story. His focus remains deeply personal. He wants to sing better. He wants to play instruments better. He wants to understand himself more. And he wants to become a kinder person.
That is what makes Navjot Ahuja’s journey so moving. It is not simply the story of a musician finding recognition. It is the story of an artist who continues to grow inward, even as the world begins to look outward at him. In an age obsessed with applause, Navjot reminds us that the most meaningful success often begins in silence, honesty, and the courage to remain true to oneself.
