A big cricket enthusiast, Saiyami Kher is on cloud nine with Indian women’s win at the recent World Cup. And to add to her excitement, her 2023 sports film on cricket, Ghoomer, is re-releasing in theatres this Friday. “I feel the timing of it all is just surreal. I am still so overwhelmed with the win of the girls because I was there at the D.Y. Patil stadium watching them lift the World Cup. That night itself, R Balki sir messaged that he’s going to try and do this (re-release). It’s a film through which we wanted to celebrate cricket and women, which we tried doing in our own way. I feel the timing is great and I’m just happy that it’s getting another chance back in the theatres,” she says.
Having witnessed the winning moment live, Saiyami Kher shares her first-hand experience: “I just couldn’t miss the finals because there’s nothing more important to me than witnessing India win the World Cup. There was a lot of stress, I was sitting with Smriti and Harman’s families and they were all so overwhelmed as it was almost emotionally exhausting for them after the semis got over. The victory had to be one of the most emotional moments for women in sports because I am sure it’s going to be a turning page for India in regards to sports in general with women. We saw what Saina Nehwal did in badminton and the revolution she brought, so the efforts that the BCCI is putting in, it’s really a big moment in our history.”
She adds, “I was in disbelief more than anything. I’ve witnessed the World Cup win in 2011 as I was at the Wankhede Stadium when the men’s team won the cup. So, the atmosphere was exactly like that, which was just so overwhelming because, there never have been too many spectators for women’s cricket. We could see how much it means, not only to the playing XI, but to someone like Jhulan Goswami ma’am or Mithali Raj ma’am who were there. So, it was a big moment for all the women cricketers who tried to fight this battle for so many years. It was an emotional moment as we saw the current team hand over the cup to Jhulan ma’am and other former players.”
Reflecting on this new outlook of sports fans, Saiyami says, “It was a jam-packed stadium and it was such a nice statement which Harman made when she said that for the first time they have the pressure also of the tickets. When I went, there were sold out boards everywhere. Even my driver was asking me ki ticket kahaan milega. And the incredible thing is that the same day there was a men’s T20 match where India was playing against Australia. But the buzz around the women’s finals was way more which just shows that finally the game has come to a place where viewership for both is just as exciting.”
