Padma Shri awardee, and director of the acclaimed hit, ‘Little Zizou’ (2008); as well as writer of ‘Salaam Bombay!’ (1988), ‘Such a Long Journey’ (1998) and ‘The Namesake’ (2006) – the talented and dynamic Sooni Taraporevala – is back with her second directorial feature – ‘Yeh Ballet’. A fictionalised version of the same-titled short documentary, ‘Yeh Ballet’ is inspired by the true story of two Mumbai boys from humble backgrounds, who triumph over their circumstances to make their way to prestigious international ballet schools.

The film features two dancers, Nishu (Manish Chuhan), the winner of a dance show, and Asif (Achintya Bose), his fiercest competitor-turned-friend, a hip-hop rebel. The film also stars Julian Sands (of A Room With A View, What/If) and popular Bollywood actor, Jim Sarbh. Nishu and Asif’s lives take a dramatic turn when Saul (Julian Sands), a greying and eccentric ballet teacher, discovers them fortuitously in a nondescript dance academy in Mumbai. Saul pushes them to set out on a tough yet fulfilling journey, mastering a dance form that is totally alien to them. They break through the shackles of society and family pressures to become male ballet dancers. Taraporevala follows young dancers – a taxi driver’s son and a welder’s son, as they pursue their dreams of professional ballet.

The cast also includes Vijay Maurya, Danish Husain and Kalyanee Mulay. ‘Yeh Ballet’ has been choreographed by Shiamak Davar, Cindy Jourdain and Vitthal Patil, with music by Ankur Tewari. Produced by Roy Kapur Films, ‘Yeh Ballet’ will be out next week on Netflix, on 21st February, 2020.

“Yeh Ballet is such an awesome and almost unbelievable story that it makes you believe in working with passion towards your goals. I discovered the boys a few years ago, when my son was working with Anand Gandhi (filmmaker), and I was asked if I’d like to direct a VR (Virtual Reality) documentary. Out of various possible subjects, I chose this one since I’d learnt ballet in my youth. I felt connected to their story, and instantly wanted to share it with the world. A film like ‘Yeh Ballet’ on a global service like Netflix will hopefully pique curiosity about the angelic mystique of ballet, but also demonstrate how dreams, no matter how outrageous, can be realized,” shared Director Sooni Taraporevala in a press statement.