Toolsidas Junior is director Mridul's tribute to his late father

Ashutosh Gowariker and Bhushan Kumar’s latest production Toolsidas Junior (2022) is the outcome of director Mridul's effort to protect the legacy of his father Mahendra Toolsidas, a former profesional snooker player.

The film, which is now being streamed on Netflix, stars Varun Buddhadev, the late Rajiv Kapoor and Sanjay Dutt,

Set in Kolkata, Toolsidas Junior revolves around a snooker player (Kapoor) who falls prey to alcoholism, which prevents him from winning a trophy. Determined to redeem the family's legacy, his son Toolsidas Junior (Varun) receives special coaching from a former champion (Dutt).

“Snooker has been a pivotal part of my life, especially because of the memories it holds with my father,” said the director. “Toolsidas Junior depicts one of the most cherished parts of my life. I fought hard to bring my father glory back then and I wanted to do the same by making Toolsidas Junior.”

When the film was almost ready, Mridul had decided to arrange a special preview show so that his father and Kapoor could watch the film together. “Unfortunately, Rajiv sir left us in February last year and soon after that my father passed away," the director recalled. "However, both did see the final cut individually before they left us. I am glad the memories of both will live on in the form of Toolsidas Junior."

According to Gowariker, when Mridul went to him with the script, the producer did not know this was Mridul's own story. “I only felt it was a film I wanted to make," Gowariker said. "The raw and relatable emotions of Midi’s story found a place in my heart. When I learned it was Mridul’s own journey, I realized why the honesty and heart in it felt so pure.

"We often say cinema is a reflection of society, Toolsidas Junior definitely mirrors the reality in the most appealing manner,” added the co-writer and producer.