Filmmaker Abhishek Kapoor marked the ninth anniversary of his much-loved political action sports drama 'Kai Po Che!' on Tuesday. Taking to his Instagram handle, Kapoor shared a reel video revisiting the memories associated with the movie. Sharing the video, he posted a gratitude note that read, "They say a man finds his true worth in the challenges he picks along the way. It took me 4 years to bring this special story out to the world. But it was that long, enduring wait which also taught me the many invaluable lessons of the craft."
"Kai Po Che was one of the stories that demands excellence. It got the best out of everyone involved. The exhausting months spent hustling in the heat of Gujarat find fruition in the immense love this film has garnered over the years. I feel so content to have had the opportunity to tell this story exactly the way I wanted to and grateful for the legacy it has left. 22022022," he added.
The filmmaker who is known to have an eye for young and raw talent gave the biggest breaks of their careers to the late Sushant Singh Rajput, Rajkummar Rao and Amit Sadh. The film proved to be a critical and commercial success with the actors earning rave reviews for their performances.
'Kai Po Che!' was produced by Ronnie Screwvala and Siddharth Roy Kapur under UTV Motion Pictures, marking the banner's first solo production under the Disney*UTV brand.
Adapted from Chetan Bhagat's 2008 novel 'The 3 Mistakes of My Life', also stars Amrita Puri as the female lead. Set in Ahmedabad from 2000 to 2012, 'Kai Po Che!' revolves around three friends, Ishaan 'Ish' Bhatt (Rajput), Omkar 'Omi' Shastri (Sadh) and Govind 'Govi' Patel (Rao), who want to start their own sports shop and sports academy; the film also revolves around the 2001 Gujarat earthquake, 2002 Godhra train burning and the 2002 Gujarat Riots.
The film tracks their deep friendship, and innocence tarnished by religious politics and communal hatred. The film also had a world premiere at the 63rd Berlin International Film Festival. 'Kai Po Che!' received six nominations at the 59th Filmfare Awards, including Best Director for Kapoor, Best Supporting Actor for Rao, Best Male Debut for Rajput, and Best Story. The film won two awards, including Best Screenplay for Kapoor and Best Background Score for Hitesh Sonik.