How Taapsee Pannu’s film ‘Rashmi Rocket’ can help you understand Imane Khelif controversy at Paris Olympics

Taapsee Pannu, Imane Khelif Pic/Instagram, AFP

Defying all odds that questioned her womanhood at the 2024 Paris Olympics, Algerian boxer Imane Khelif scripted history by triumphing over Yang Liu of the People's Republic of China to secure the gold medal in women's boxing. Amid the brutal scrutiny on a global platform of being called a ‘biological male', Imane kept her head held high as a proud woman. But did you know, Bollywood actor Taapsee Pannu's 2021 film ‘Rashmi Rocket' had a similar plotline? Allow us to explain.

Imane Khelif controversy

The issue emerged after Italian boxer Angela Carini abruptly quit her match against Imane Khelif, resulting in the latter winning the bout within just 46 seconds. This rare occurrence followed Carini's withdrawal, who cited discomfort during the match. The controversy around Khelif is compounded by her previous disqualification from the International Boxing Association (IBA) Women's Championships last year due to elevated testosterone levels. However, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) cleared her to compete in the Paris Olympics despite the IBA's ban on Olympic boxing due to governance issues.

Support by Dutee Chand

Indian athlete Dutee Chand, who faced a similar issue in 2014 regarding her eligibility due to hyperandrogenism, expressed her support for Khelif, in an interview with ANI. Chand criticized the questioning of Khelif's eligibility, emphasizing that others should not raise concerns if the IOC had no objections. "A lot of issues occur when such a situation comes up. I faced it in 2014. Before I was selected for the Commonwealth Games, I was dropped from the team," Chand said.

She further added, "When IOC made no complaints that she is male by gender, how can someone question her?.. She has lost 9 games so far (in her career). Today, she (Angela Carini) is questioning as she lost the game. She would not have raised a question had she won."

What is the story of Rashmi Rocket?

Taapsee Pannu's film, which was an OTT release may have missed the mark in terms of popularity back then, but those who did manage to watch can easily relate to the Imane Khelif controversy that was brilliantly encapsulated in the form of a celluloid. The film shows a fictional character inspired by Chand and Pinki Pramanik, who were subjected to gender testing.

Taapsee's character Rashmi is a track and field athlete, who secures one win after another to become a champion, which does not sit well with her contemporaries at the sports camp and they trick her into getting tested for gender. Just like Imane's social media trial, Rashmi is labelled a man. She is jailed and faces police brutality when a male officer slaps her, as shown in one of the scenes.

Rashmi, who is married to an Army officer musters courage and files a case against human rights violation. The second part of the film is more of a courtroom drama that places arguments from both sides. Rashmi is then shown to be pregnant, but to elevate the film and make a statement she chooses to hide her pregnancy and gain a fair judgment by not using her ability to reproduce as a leverage. Rashmi eventually wins the case after it is learned that her rival had tricked her into getting tested. The final scene shows her taking part in the race while pregnant.

From gender bias to gender testing

Women in competitive arenas have come a long way from bearing the bias against their gender to now getting tested if they qualify to be a woman. The controversy that perhaps took away the thunder of every other athlete barring a few that made it to the memes, saw celebrities and influential figures take sides. From Harry Potter author JK Rowling to singer Chinmaye Sripaada, everyone on X took turns to shred or back Imane's existence. Taapsee's film may have ended on a high note, but reality will never be the same. However, Khelif's life story might inspire another piece of cinema.