"Never thought I would be asked to play a mother of four!" - Lupita Nyong'o speaks on Mira Nair's 'Queen of Katwe'

Internationally acclaimed filmmaker, Mira Nair's forthcoming drama, Disney's Queen of Katwe is all set to release in India on 7th October 2016. The movie had a world premiere at the prestigious Toronto International Film Festival in September 2016. Like Nair’s previous films, Queen of Katwe is a heartwarming and riveting drama. Based on real-life events, the film chronicles the inspiring story of an underdog from the streets of rural Uganda. She’s a young girl whose world rapidly changes when she is introduced to the game of chess; as a result of the support from her family and community, she develops confidence and determination to pursue her dream to become an international chess champion.

It was an email that Lupita got from her director Mira Nair with the script for Queen of Katwe, during the Christmas of 2014 which spoke on how Phiona Mutesi, an uneducated girl from the slums of Uganda, rose to become the chess champion of her country and an international chess master. Nair wanted her to play Phiona’s mother, Harriet. “Five pages in I wrote my manager and agent with the words ‘I must do this film,’ ” says Lupita.

“To play a mother of four in Uganda, a formidable mother who has so much working against her, was so compelling to me. It wasn’t something I thought I’d be asked to do”—at least not by Hollywood. “The fact that it was based on a true story, an uplifting story out of Africa. . . .” She inhales and shakes her head. “Oh, my goodness, all my dreams were coming true in that script.”