National award-winning director Omung Kumar’s directorial debut ‘Mary Kom’ completes four years

Mumbai: Filmmaker Omung Kumar has come a long way ever since his directorial debut film ‘Mary Kom’ released worldwide on September 5th, 2014. Post the release of his debut film, there has been no looking back for the National award-winning filmmaker and art director who has given us super hit blockbuster films like ‘Mary Kom’ or the hard-hitting ‘Sarbjit’. As the film completes four years this year, the filmmaker looks back at some of the moments through the process of making this inspiring biographical film.

While working as an art director for ‘Saawariya’ in 2007, Omung began writing two scripts simultaneously for his directorial debut, none of which were made. After having discussed with the film’s writer Saiwyn Quadras to make his first film based on a woman biographical subject, he was introduced to the story of five-time world boxing champion Mary Kom, who despite numerous achievements, was not a known name in India during that time. When Omung heard the script for Mary Kom, he immediately decided to make his directorial debut with a film based on her life and struggles. An extensive research was carried out by Omung and team through available sources such as online information and newspaper archives including Kom's videos which played a key role in the research, for bringing the sports icon’s story alive on screen.

Priyanka Chopra who portrayed the sports icon said that Mary Kom was the toughest film of her life and took her two years of determination taught by the guru, Mary Kom herself. The film’s producer Sanjay Leela Bhansali described the film as "a rare experiment" and was greatly inspired and touched by the film’s story.

Omung says, “While shooting for the film, we wanted to make the boxing scenes authentic and look as real as possible. And so some of our crew members and I learnt boxing to get the necessary understanding of the sport in order to film the fight scenes. I wanted the nation to know about the boxer Mary Kom who won so many awards and accolades for our country in boxing. Her story has been an inspiration for everyone. Being a mother and a sportswoman, she equally managed her family with sports. And I felt the urge to give back to the society by telling a story through the medium of cinema which inspired me personally and also inspired the nation after they watched it.”

The film was shot across 57 days over the course of a year and was hugely successful at the box office with the audience loving the film. It further went on to win numerous awards and critical acclaim.