After Axone(2020) Netflix India has now acquired the rights of another Hindi film that highlights the discrimination faced by people from the Northeast in their own country. The sports drama Penalty (2019) will premiere on Netflix on 5 July.
Penalty is about Lukram Smail from Manipur who dreams of becoming an international football player. But he soon realizes that reality is far from what he expected when he faces racial discrimination from fellow players.
A footballer's dream of playing nationally is threatened as he faces discrimination for his Manipuri background.#Penalty by @WithShubh, ft. @kaykaymenon02 @ShashankSArora @SmilLukram @OyeManjot @Srishti__Jain @BijouThaangjam & @TashaBhambra, streams on @NetflixIndia from July 5 pic.twitter.com/6PDKBTC90d
— CinemaRare (@CinemaRareIN) June 23, 2020
It is sad that on one hand we revere Baichung Bhutia, Mary Kom, Sunil Chetri for their contribution to Indian sports but in reality, common people from the Northeast face racial discrimination on a daily basis. Penalty highlights this double standard of Indians.
The film, which opened to mixed reviews in theatres last year, has been directed by Shubham Singh. It features Kay Kay Menon, Shashank Arora, Lukram Smail and Manjot Singh. Menon plays the role of a team manager who harbors resentment against outsiders, such as Lukram.