Pune’s women blind footballers’ resilience finds its spot on screen

Pune: Deepali Kamble lost her vision in Class IX. She spent most of her life indoors for nearly eight years, overwhelmed by fear, isolation and depression. The 29-year-old captain of Pune's women's blind football team said she felt like life had stopped.Kamble's journey forms the emotional core of filmmaker Raj Malde's documentary on Pune's women blind footballers named VOY: The Unseen Journey of Women's Blind Footballers of India that follows the lives of the athletes associated with Mai Bal Bhavan.She said, "I was scared to step out, scared of what my future would look like. Football changed everything. It gave me confidence, purpose and the courage to move ahead despite every difficulty."The documentary brings attention not only to the sport, but the invisible emotional battles the visually impaired sportswomen often fight long before they enter the field. It will be screened at Adhoc, FC Road, on May 17 at 7 pm.Malde made the film as part of his diploma project, while juggling film school and a part-time job in a sports store. He first met the players through their coach. "I spent a few days simply talking to them. Once I even blindfolded myself and tried to play football. I realised then how much we underestimate sight and that experience stayed with me. I knew people needed to see what these women go through and overcome," he said.The film was shot over three days between June and July 2024. It was completed in Jan 2025, following months of additional interviews, conversations with blind football experts and federation members. It has travelled since then to over 15 film festivals nationally and internationally — including the Bangkok Thai International Film Festival, Mumbai International Film Festival and Jharkhand National Film Festival. The documentary also won in the Differently Abled Film category at the Kenya International Sports Film Festival, last year.Most of the players have become symbols of resilience in a sport still fighting for visibility in India. "The documentary captures the struggles and the triumphs I find difficult to explain in words. My parents have not watched it yet, but they are very proud. I hope the film reaches women like me and motivates them to do something with their lives, even when things seem impossible," said Kamble.Teammate Komal Gaikwad (27), who was the top scorer at the national championship hosted in Pune in 2024, said the documentary offers rare visibility to the sport. "People don't understand blind football and its poor infrastructure. Hopefully the film will give them a glimpse into our lives and push things to improve. We love playing, but we also need support," she said.Over the last few years, Pune's women's blind football team has emerged as one of the country's strongest squads, despite limited infrastructure and funding. The team won gold at the national women's blind football tournament organised by the Indian Blind Football Federation in 2022, with six Pune players selected to represent India at the Blind Football Asian Championship in Kochi. The players have since attended international training camps and tournaments in places like Birmingham in the UK and Malaysia, and competed nationally in Kerala, TN, Gujarat, Goa and Jharkhand.