Neha Dhupia and Adil Hussain will star in Egyptian director Ali El Arabi‘s upcoming drama “Blue 52,” about a young Indian soccer fan’s journey as a migrant worker to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
Swati Bhat
In El Arabi’s “Blue 52” Ashish endures his father’s isolating control on a remote island home in Kochi, India, but with his mother’s support, and lessons alongside inspiration from his late brother, he breaks free. Ashish embarks on a journey to meet his idol, Messi, at the World Cup in Qatar 22, leading him to face the world for the first time.
"Blue 52," which was intended to be a documentary, has finally completed production. El Arabi made a stir at virtual Sundance in 2021 with the documentary "Captains of Zaatari," about the football hopes of adolescent Syrian refugees.
Dhupia and Hussain play Ashish's mother and father, who live on an island in the Indian state of Kerala where Ashish (Yadav Shashidhar) lives in safety. The film's cinematographer is Egypt's Mahmoud Basher, who previously collaborated with El Arabi on "Captains of Zaatari."
"Blue 52," which combines reality and imagination, gives a behind-the-scenes look into the 2022 World Cup while portraying the lives of the people who built the stadiums.
"I aim to show the workers not just as people in the shadows, but as humans who have dreams, fears, and hopes that deserve to be acknowledged and seen," El Arabi's communiqué in a written statement. "It also becomes fascinating to have all these events take place in the backdrop of the FIFA World Cup, where our narrative featuring Ashish crosses paths with the real events as he witnesses Messi lifting his trophy and Ashish our actor becoming a part of the FIFA official music video."
"Blue 52" is produced by El Arabi through his Cairo and Los Angeles-based production and distribution firm Ambient Light, and executive produced by Tariq Al-Naama. Co-producers include Krysanne Katsoolis, Joe Matthews, and Katara Studios.
El Arabi's Ambient Light Films joined as co-producer on Mohamed Kordofani's "Goodbye Julia," Sudan's second-ever Academy Award international feature film submission, in May. The project is supported by Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong'o.