Enter Barefoot Boys, a podcast hosted by
An unconventional battlefield
Barefoot Boys is a lesser-known story from the early 20th century when a love of football blossomed in Calcutta, UK. It is the story of eleven boys from Bengal who joined the Indian independence movement by fighting their enemy on the most unconventional battlefield: the football field.
In this podcast series, Konkana Sen Sharma, the celebrated Indian actress, writer and director with a wide repertoire of Hindi and Bengali films, follows how these guys pulled off this incredible feat.
Defeat the Colonizer
India, then still under British rule, was far from independent. Moreover, football was a new sport for Indians. The British team, on the other hand, was well-funded, better trained, experienced and had significant football boots. But this didn’t stop the eleven boys from playing against their settlers, displaying a level of bravery and bravery that few could.
While Calcutta reeled under the news that their ‘capital city’ status would be lost to Delhi in 1911, there was news that made waves locally in Calcutta, across the subcontinent, reaching the furthest reaches of the empire: The Barefoot Boys from Calcutta, had beaten the British team in football.
Brazil of the East
Soon the country was nicknamed ‘Brazil of the East’. Indian football started to mature. By beating the British at their own game, the eleven barefoot boys became affectionately known as Amor Ekadoshor “Immortal Eleven” for helping their country win at one of the oldest football tournaments in the world, all without boots on their feet!
However, football was not considered an Indian sport; with most Indians having grown up playing Gulli-danda and other regional games. How could Indians who had learned to play football thirty years earlier still beat the country that ruled them?
A standout original
To commemorate the 74th Republic Day and shed light on this lesser-known chapter of India’s freedom struggle, Luminary is opening the podcast for free streaming over Republic Day weekend (January 26, 2023 – January 29, 2023) . Listeners who want to experience the story through Konkana’s wonderful storytelling will have access to all ten episodes released up to that week.
Konkana, who has received two National Film Awards and four Filmfare Awards, and has built a unique brand for himself, is doing a fantastic job of bringing this exceptional story to the fore.
Listen to Sen talk about the majestic Amor EkadoshIndia’s struggle for independence and the interplay between politics and sports, only on Luminary.
disclaimer: Luminary is partnering with Times Bridge to scale and expand its reach in India. http://gotechbusiness.com/ is part of Times Bridge, a Times Internet Limited company.
