Chukker Around Polo | Documentary Film

Polo- the Game of Kings or the King of Games- a sport different from any other-with its unique and intense union of man and animal.

The first film ever to be documented on polo, ‘Chukker’ looks at the game and beyond. From Manipur and Ladakh to Delhi, Jodhpur, Jaipur and Patiala, the film explores the passion of the players and the patrons. Directed by documentary filmmaker Yasmin Kidwai, Chukker is the story of polo in India. From the game’s origins to its relationship with the Maharajas; the quick emergence of the Army on the polo scene to the game as we see it today, Polo’s regal past lives on in its present glory and Chukker encapsulates that - exploring polo in India today - behind the scenes, before the game, and many moments after.
Details

Chukker was made over a period of three years and is 68 minutes long. Tracing polo’s history though exclusive interviews with Maharani Gayatri Devi of Jaipur, Yuvraaj Shivraaj Singh of Jodhpur, Col Pinka Virk-the commandant of the 61st Cavalry, Maharaj Jai Singh of Jaipur, and Capt Amrinder Singh-Maharaja of Patiala, the film gives you an exclusive and unique look at the game and the people who play it. From the Maharajas to the corporate Czars who control the game today the film takes you from insurgency-ridden Manipur in the North East (where people still play the game as it was played 2000 years back) to Ladakh in Jammu Kashmir.

From Patiala, where the Maharaja Amrinder Singh is trying to revive a lost tradition, to Jodhpur where Yuvraaj Shivraj wants to put Jodhpur back in the reckoning, to Delhi where the young Turks are battling for supremacy even as the Army tries to hold its bastion high. The film gives you a exclusive look at the story and passion of polo in India.

Director: Yasmin Kidwai
Cinematographers: Aseem Mishra, Vineet Sabharwal
Editor: Shan Mohamed
Music: Rahul Ram, Asheem Chakravarty, Amit Kilam
Sound Design: Vivek
Producer: Spring Box Films