WOMEN IN SPORTS-STRUGGLE AND SUCCESS: THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL

The Event was well attended by 200 members of the FLO community.The guest speakers recounted the challenges they faced when they chose to make unconventional career choices.

Mithali Raj, Captain of the Indian Cricket team, started with an inspiring quote. “It is not the will to win that matters, but the will to prepare for the win that matters.”

Taapsee Pannu is a versatile actor who gained prominence in the Hindi film industry after spending thousands of hours perfecting her act. Taapsee calls herself the “destiny child,” and she mentions that “the regret of not doing anything and making the most out of her life made me who I am today.”

The FLO community members were enthralled listening to Taapsee and Mithali, who shared their life experiences, struggles and successes. The FLO members asked Mithali why she chose cricket and what made her so confident; Mithali quickly responded by saying that she embraced commitment, sincerity and hard work, which made her confident to play.

Mithali mentioned, “we should mentor ourselves from our own experiences,” she added how her father impacted her by giving her the right guidance at the right times, and thanked her mother for supporting her always.

Taapsee desires to see a change in society, not just in films, cause she was never fearful of voicing her opinions. She adds, “you cannot control what happens to you in life, but you can control how you respond to it;” repercussions of bad decisions fall on all actors, so she had to be careful in making her choices. She later mentions ‘do not try to fit in the box the world wants you to fit in to, create your own box.”

Shabaash Mithu, a biographical sports film that shares the story of passion, courage and dreams based on the life of Mithali Raj. While people know who Mithali Raj is, people are not familiar with her achievements and how she got into cricket. The film spans the athlete’s journey from the beginning and provides a glimpse into the struggles of women in the male-dominated sport of cricket. Through excellent acting, Taapsee Pannu shares the achievements of the Indian Women’s Cricket Team and cricketer Mithali Raj. The film addresses the issues of hustling the patriarchal society and why female heroes are not celebrated enough.