It’s four years to the next Olympics in Rio, but before that, Mallika Sherawat will be racing for an Olympic medal. She plays a Jat sprinter who represents the country in actor-producer Sonu Sood’s film, Lucky Unlucky, which will be shot this winter in Delhi, UP and Punjab. “Mallika’s character, Lucky, is a bindaas girl who is fearless in the way she speaks. I’ve read Mallika’s interviews in which she came across as moahfat (frank), which is how I thought of her for this story that unfolds in the course of one day,” explains Sonu, who plays the character called Unlucky. Three of India’s six medal winners from the just-concluded London Games are from Haryana, including wrestlers Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt, and badminton player Saina Nehwal (she was born there). A large part of India’s 81-member contingent was from this state, including many of the female athletes. Mallika, who was born Reema Lamba in Rothak, Haryana, is kicked about her new role. “Having been born in an old-fashioned, patriarchal family where a woman’s role is confined to household chores, it’s heartwarming to see these female athletes stepping out of their homes and shaping their destinies,” says Mallika, who will be undergoing special coaching for the role. “Many women in my home state have been inspired by my success story and I hope Lucky Unlucky will inspire many more to come out and change the rules.”
