Atmanirbhar: A 15-year old's real-to-reel journey

Jyoti Kumari who cycled 1200 km to play lead in movie based on her life

Fear brings out our hidden potential. And it is this emotion that moved Jyoti Kumari to cycle from Gurugram to Bihar with her injured father riding pillion. Cycling 1200km to her small village of Darbhanga wasn't something she had dreamed of doing. But fear and circumstances forced her hand. 
When her father Mohan Paswan got injured in Delhi, Jyoti went to help take care of him but they could not keep up with the mounting bills. The fear of dying hungry in an unfamiliar place got her to take a courageous act. She decided to get them home whatever it takes; even if that meant cycling home. 
Jyoti cycled around 60 km everyday and survived to tell the tale; now Mumbai based film production company Wemakefilmz are taking Jyoti's story to the big screen. Titled Atmanirbhar, real life Jyoti will play her fictional counterpart along with Bollywood actor Sanjay Mishra who will portray her father. 
We hear of heroic people and inspiring tales almost every day. What attracted the people at Wemakefilmz towards Jyoti's story in particular? Writer and director Shine Krishna tells City Times they wanted to inspire other children like Jyoti who have potential in them but lack the courage.
"We want to inspire children living in the underprivileged parts of our society. They have a lot of potential and they should realise this after watching this movie; that they can do anything. Not looking to society or others, if they all become atmanirbhar like Jyoti they can do a lot. It's about action, it's not about waiting and depending on people. So the thought of independence should be passed to people," elaborates Shine who will also produce the film with his friends Miraj (Dubai), Fairoz (Saudi Arabia) and Sajith Nambiar, under the banner of Wemakefilmz.
Jyoti's journey has already touched millions worldwide. Ivanka Trump shared her story on Twitter last month calling her a "beautiful feat of endurance."
The production on Atmanirbhar will begin next month with the makers hopeful for a year end release.