Is Anushka Sharma’s ‘Chakda Xpress’ all set to release soon? The Jhulan Goswami biopic was one of the most-talked-about Bollywood projects in 2021. Then… everything went silent. For years. No posters, no trailers, no release date, just an occasional rumour floating around. But, looks like the film may finally get an update soon.
As per a report by Mid-Day, after the Indian women’s cricket squad’s historic win, the makers of the film have written to the top executives from Netflix, urging them to release their movie. “We have personally written to top executives at Netflix India to see if they can rise above the conflict so that the film can see the light of day. A biopic on a legend like Jhulan di deserves to reach the audience," a source cited by the portal claimed.
Image courtesy: T-Series Films
An insider further informed Mid-Day, “The production house went over-budget. What added to the woes was that the platform heads didn’t like the way the project was shaping up. But it’s still a solid film. The recent victory has put the attention back on the biopic. Internal discussions at the streamer have started, and the team is expected to take a final pass this month to determine if it can be released after additional work.”
Interestingly, even Jhulan Goswami herself, on whom the biopic is reportedly based, addressed the situation in her conversation with Hindustan Times. She said she hasn’t been informed of any new developments but is hopeful.
Image courtesy: T-Series Films
She said, “I am not aware of any such update. Let's hope for the best.”
But what exactly happened? Why is a film that completed its full shooting schedule back in December 2022 still waiting for release three years later?
The problems began much earlier. The film was originally set to go on floors in 2020, right after actor-writer Abhishek Banerjee completed the first draft. Then the COVID-19 pandemic arrived. To add to the delays, Anushka Sharma announced her pregnancy during that period, which paused several major creative and scheduling decisions. The project looked like it would recover — until one of the producers reportedly pulled out.
Now, with conversations reportedly happening at the highest level within Netflix, the possibility of a release is back on the table.
Will we finally get to see ‘Chakda Xpress’ — or is it destined to stay in the vault a little longer?
