Rahul Bose has high hopes for ‘Poorna’, is confident about is box office success

Mumbai: Actor-filmmaker Rahul Bose, who is bringing the real life story of the youngest girl to scale Mt Everest on screen with “Poorna”, is confident that the film will do well commercially.

Directed by Bose, “Poorna” is a biopic on a teenager named Poorna Malavath, who hails from Telangana and is the youngest girl to achieve this feat.

“I bet you this film will do well commercially. I am 100 per cent sure. It’s not a small film, I am sure it will do well. I am not anxious about the film,” Rahul told reporters here at the trailer launch of “Poorna” last evening.

The 49-year-old actor says not many are aware about the story of Poorna and hence it was essential to be told.

“When this story came to me, I felt ashamed that I was not aware about this achievement two years back… Its crazy. Sania Mirza, Saina

Nehwal, P V Sindhu… We all talk about them is great.. But no one knows the story of Poorna.”

According to Bose, the story of the 13-year-old girl climbing Mount Everest is a very inspiring tale.

“A 13-year-old girl climbing Mount Everest is an incredible achievement. I felt this was a phenomenal story. As a producer I said its a winner I would love to see this film.”

The “Pyaar Ke Side Effects” actor says the film has been shot where the real Poorna used to stay and he has kept almost everything real while making the film.

“I have seen a lot of biopics and I have laughed at some as I know so and so thing has not happened while some (biopics) I feel are close (to the real story). 90 per cent of ‘Poorna’ is true to the real life story.”

The role of Poorna is played by debutant Aditi Inamdar and the latter was too happy to see herself on screen.

“I am thankful to Rahul Bose Sir. It was not easy to play this role. I had to learn her mannerisms and all. I spend a lot of time with her. She was very helpful,” Aditi says.

Poorna, who was present at the event along with her father, looked ecstatic after seeing the trailer.

“We were climbing the last 15 minutes I saw a body and felt will I also die like this? Will I not be able to climb? I got scared. I remembered what was taught – not to give up,” Poorna says.

“After 15 minutes I reached Mount Everest and I was very happy. I wanted to show girls can do anything. I am thankful to the government for all the support.”

Amit Patni, the film’s producer is also happy with the outcome of the film.

“The producer Amit was convinced in two meetings to back the film. Salim and Suleman (music composers) who have done the music part of the film have done the film for peanuts (referring to the fee) compared to what they charge,” Rahul says.

“Poorna” will show some unreleased footage from the Mt Everest expedition of 2014 and Rahul struggled to acquire those shots, which according to him will be seen for the first time in the movie.

“We have some 70 shots from the summit. Those shots are unreleased shots in the history of Everest expeditions. The 2014 expedition, of which we got the footage, had one Indian, Hemant Sachdev,” Rahul says.

“Before us, he had turned down a lot of producers. But when we explained how we were going to shoot the film, he got convinced and shared those shots.”

The film will arrive in cinema houses on March 31.

PTI