Who is Vijay Barse, the role Amitabh Bachchan is playing in new movie "Jhund"?

Megastar Amitabh Bachchan's upcoming sports film Jhund, directed by Nagraj Popatrao Manjule, will debut in theatres on March 4th, 2022.

The film marks the Hindi directorial debut of Manjule, best known for Marathi blockbuster Sairat and the critically-acclaimed 2013 drama Fandry.

The 79-year-old veteran star took to Instagram and shared the film's poster, along with its new release date. The film has been postponed repeatedly from release.

Jhund, backed by T-Series, features Bachchan as Vijay Barse, a Nagpur-based retired sports teacher who starts a slum soccer movement. The film was scheduled to release earlier but was pushed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Vijay Barse is the founder of Slum Soccer. Slum Soccer conducts state-level and national-level tournaments. It is said that after his retirement Vijay Barse received 18 lakhs and with that money he bought few acres of land. After which he planned to build an academy of football for the underprivileged. Vijay Barse was a sports teacher in a renowned college named Hislop College, Nagpur. Vijay Barse said that he got the idea of starting Slum Soccer when he saw some underprivileged children playing football in the rain with a plastic bucket.

Children who are underprivileged play football there and get to achieve their dreams to play for the Indian national football team. Among those children, a guy name Akhilesh was selected for the Indian team and he was also selected as the captain of the Indian team. The team also went to Brazil for playing the Slum Soccer World Cup. Vijay Barse also received Real Hero Award in the year 2012. The award was given by Sachin Tendulkar. Vijay has also featured in the first episode of Satyamev Jayate Season 3, hosted by Aamir Khan.

In the year 2001 along with his wife Ranjana Barse and son Abhijeet Barse, he started Krida Vikas Santhi Nagpur which became the parent institution for Slum Soccer. Having set the ball rolling, Barse took it a step forward and spread the programme to other districts in Maharashtra. Barse, with support from a few close friends, planned out matches and launched the first Jhopadpatti football tournament, a state level event in 2003 in Nagpur.

The same year a national level event, the All India Rajiv Gandhi Memorial Jhopadpatti football tournament, was conducted in Nagpur. Twelve states participated in the inaugural tournament, which Orissa won with Maharashtra finishing runners-up.

Barse learnt from the internet that a Homeless World Cup was held annually and went to watch the 4th edition in Cape Town, South Africa. India participated in the following edition in Copenhagen, Denmark and also took part in the Melbourne event in 2008.