Leander Paes, Mahesh Bhupathi told their stories truthfully: 'Break Point' makers

Filmmaker couple Nitesh Tiwari and Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari believe that "Break Point", their non-fiction series about Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi, would not have been possible if the two tennis stars hadn't been "truthful" in telling their respective stories.

The seven-part ZEE5 series traces the on and off-court partnership between the two Indian tennis legends.

The show is the first project for Nitesh Tiwari and Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari that they have co-directed together.

It aims to bring on screen the untold story of Paes and Bhupathi, who were the first Indian pair to win at the Wimbledon in 1999.

During the virtual trailer launch of "Break Point", Ashwiny said both Paes and Bhupathi had no apprehension in telling their personal story -- of success, falling apart and eventually coming back -- for the series.

"It is not easy to be truthful about yourselves and tell an outsider your story. We were the outsiders in their lives. To tell your whole story without any judgements is difficult, we don't tell that even to our closest ones and (here) we were outsiders. That itself is a big thing," the "Panga" director said.

Nitesh, who has helmed films like "Dangal" and "Chhichhore", added, "I would really like to thank Leander and Mahesh for opening their hearts out. A filmmaker, a storyteller could not have asked for more than that. It was a wonderful process."

Nicknamed the "Indian Express", Paes and Bhupathi played together from 1994 to 2006 and reunited for their second stint from 2008 to 2011. The two had a public fallout but they have put that behind them.

When asked if they had ever envisioned the story as a Bollywood film, Nitesh Tiwari said they wanted to keep the narrative of the series authentic by featuring real-life people from Paes and Bhupathi's lives, something which would not have been possible in a movie.

"I have grown up watching these two legends, feeling proud of their achievements. There was too much that was written, but you didn't have the answers. Twenty years later, God sends this great opportunity where you get to not only discover what you have wondered all these years but also to be able to tell it.

"We thought the best way to tell this story was to keep it absolutely authentic. The best way to do that was to get it from Leander and Mahesh, their families, friends, people who they have played with, their rivals, fellow Indian players, coaches and everyone associated with them at some important junctions of their lives," he added.

Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari said they wanted to push the envelope with "Break Point" and took on the challenge to co-direct the series.

"We always want to tell a story that is different from our last work, to challenge ourselves, to create new forms of storytelling. When this came our way, we had the opportunity to tell the story of these great champions. It was nice to hear them one on one and create a story during the pandemic.

"Nitesh and I also partnered for the first time. This was challenging, inspiring and thought provoking," she added.

Created by Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari and Nitesh Tiwari, with Piyush Gupta as the creative director, "Break Point" will premiere on ZEE5 on October 1 and be available in English, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu.

Bhupathi said Paes and he were approached "multiple times, individually and collectively," over the decades to tell their story for the screen.

But they only agreed when they found out that Nitesh Tiwari and Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari would be chronicling their life.

"Leander and I got on a couple of phone calls. There was no secret to their talent and their pedigree in filmmaking so we thought this could be something which we should explore," Bhupathi, 47, said.

Paes said he always felt a 90-minute or a two-hour film would never be able to do justice to their life stories.

"I loved the creativity of telling a true story in a real manner. We didn't have actors coming on board playing us. Our opponents... got on board to share their perspective of our story, what did they feel when they played against us.

"The nuances of telling a story this large are infinite. For both Mahesh and I, it was important to tell our story truthfully," the 48-year-old said.

"Break Point" marks ZEE5's first partnership with Nitesh Tiwari and Ashwiny Iyer Tiwari under their banner, Earthsky Production.

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