Girl power

Varma, born in Hyderabad, the capital of Andhra Pradesh state in India, when he was 14, walked more than 20 kilometers to the nearest cinema to watch Enter the Dragon, according to Wu Jing, the chief producer.

Recalling that her studio, Big People Film, based in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, held a forum to discuss cultural exchanges during the China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industry Fair in 2017, Wu says that it has paved the way for her introduction to Varma, who had, at the time, been preparing the project for several years.

With the Chinese company getting on board in 2018, the crew, consisting of nearly 200 members, started shooting in early 2019, with all the scenes filmed in Mumbai and Hyderabad in India, and Foshan in South China's Guangdong province, the ancestral hometown of Lee.

"The movie will give the Chinese audience a fresh perspective," says Wu. "In most Indian films, women are wrapped up in colorful saris, looking soft and beautiful. But Ladki tries to examine how strong a woman can be in her determination to protect her family and defend her dignity."

Starring Pooja Bhalekar, a Mumbai-born martial artist and actress, as the female protagonist, the tale follows her journey to learn kung fu after witnessing her elder sister being sexually assaulted and murdered.

Chinese actress Muqi Miya, known for Kung Fu Yoga, and Shi Tianlong, a martial artist and actor, respectively play a fellow student, and the master of the female protagonist, who realizes her dream to study at a kung fu school in India.