Is 'Jhund' a real story? Meet this Nagpur man who inspired Amitabh Bachchan's character

Amitabh Bachchan was most recently seen in the sports drama Jhund, which hit the big screens on March 4, 2022. The film centres around a teacher who goes the extra mile to bring about a change in the lives of underprivileged youngsters through sports. Amitabh Bachchan is seen taking on the role of a coach, Vijay Barse who is the founder of Slum Soccer, an organization in India that uses sports to help and benefit street dwellers.

Is Jhund a real story?

After the most recently released Bollywood film in the country, Jhund, fans have been wondering if the Amitabh Bachchan-starrer is a true story. Well, the movie is based on the life of Vijay Barse, who worked hard to use an innovative and creative way to reach out and help youngsters in need. He is a social worker from Nagpur who founded the organization Slum Soccer, whose aim according to their website is to 'foster sustainable development within otherwise marginalised populations of India'.

Who is Vijay Barse?

Vijay Barse's Slum Soccer is extremely famous and the young talent it gives opportunities to has been lauded by people far and wide. He was also invited to the Homeless World Cup in South Africa, where he had the opportunity of meeting Nelson Mandela and also featured on Satyameva Jayate, a show hosted by Aamir Khan. The work put in by Vijay Barse and his team allowed groups of talented young individuals to participate at district and city levels.

Vijay Barse and Amitabh Bachchan

Barse also had the opportunity of meeting the Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan and could not believe that the story of his life and Slum Soccer would lead millions. He took to his Twitter account a few days before the release of the film and penned down a heartfelt note assuring viewers that the film would capture their hearts. He wrote, "Even in my dreams I could not have imagined the day that my story would reach millions, but this is more than my story it’s the story of every player who touched my life and what they overcame. #jhund will capture your hearts."

Image: Twitter/@VijaySBarse, @shivammovies14