Shubhangi Shekhar To Direct Basketball Feature Doc ‘Hoop Like This’, Musician Nav To Exec Produce
Shubhangi Shekhar is making her feature directorial debut with 'Hoop Like This,' a documentary about the Brown Ballers, the world’s first professional Indian basketball team composed of elite athletes of Indian heritage. The film follows their journey in a high-stakes ESPN tournament with a $1 million prize, highlighting their personal sacrifices and dual careers. NBA star Jeremy Lin, ESPN’s Shams Charania, and actor Utkarsh Ambudkar are among those featured, with musician Nav serving as executive producer. The documentary will premiere at three major film festivals in May.
- ▪Hoop Like This is directed by Shubhangi Shekhar and executive produced by Grammy-nominated musician Nav.
- ▪The documentary centers on the Brown Ballers, a team of 12 elite Indian heritage athletes ineligible to play for India due to its no dual citizenship policy.
- ▪Featured personalities include Jeremy Lin, Shams Charania, Utkarsh Ambudkar, Vivek Ranadivé, Kevin Negandhi, and Nimesh Patel.
- ▪The film explores the players’ dual lives, including an orthopedic surgeon, a gas station owner, and a Silicon Valley engineer, all competing at elite levels.
- ▪Hoop Like This will have its festival premiere at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, CAAMFest in San Francisco, and Asian American Showcase in Chicago.
Opening excerpt (first ~120 words) tap to expand
NBA Champion Jeremy Lin, ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania and Ghosts star Utkarsh Ambudkar are all set to appear in a new basketball feature documentary. The trio are part of Hoop Like This, which tells the story of the world’s first professional Indian basketball team. The film explores the emotional and physical demands placed on these athletes as they pursue history. India does not allow dual citizenship, meaning generations of elite athletes of Indian heritage have been ineligible to represent the national team across all sports. The Brown Ballers are the first true Dream Team of Indian basketball – 12 players who risk their careers, reputations, and identities to rewrite the rules of who belongs in the game.
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Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at Deadline.
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