Netflix’s new series Selection Day, produced by Anil Kapoor and Anand Tucker, is based on Arvind Adiga’s novel of the same name. The story traces the journey of two boys — Manju and Radha — who are trained in cricket by their father, who sells chutney for a living. His aim is to make sure that they are selected for the Mumbai under-19 cricket team. Reeling the under the pressure of their father, the two move to Mumbai with him, and the show sees them navigating through the city. Ahead of its worldwide release on Netflix, Mohammad Samad and Yash Dholye who play Manju and Radha, respectively, and Mahesh Manjrekar who features as their kind coach, spoke to The Quint about their love for cricket, the digital platform and more.
“I’ve always been a follower of cricket, and that was what attracted me to the series,” says Manjrekar. “What was also interesting is that I got to work with young talent but unlike Bollywood where I don’t get good roles, here I did,” he says.
Samad who was seen recently in Tumbbad, always wanted to be an actor. “I wasn’t as interested in cricket before I started training for the show. My father used to follow the matches but I never really took to it. When I began acting, I realised that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life.” Dholye, on the other hand, wanted to be in the airforce but a workshop in film-making in the 8th grade piqued his interest in the movies.
Manjrekar, a veteran actor and director, is happy with the way things are shaping up in Bollywood. “It used to be a very star-driven place, but now someone like Gajraj Rao also has an amazing character in a film like Badhaai Ho. It’s a great space to be in,” he concludes.
Selection Day will stream worldwide on Netflix from December 28.
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