Reincarnation and Warriors: Geetika Budhiraja of How Much Do You Want to Know
The psychological aspect of sports is increasingly seeing more focus in the world of film. Understanding the mental and emotional challenges is less explored territory than the physical feats of these incredible athletes but it is also quite fascinating. An intriguing new film from Omagination Pictures titled How Much Do You Want to Know takes an imaginative approach in the experience of one athlete. Blending MMA fighting with the concept of past lives, this film shows Hollywood taking a big swing at the world of sports and landing a big hit in terms of great filmmaking. At the heart of the uniqueness of How Much Do You Want to Know is the character Navya, portrayed by the transfixing Geetika Budhiraja. Her performance as Navya brings both a gravitas and a sense of mystery that anchors the alternate reality of Maulik (the MMA fighter) as he battles for the title and his own sanity. Among others, this sensational cast includes Guatam Kapoor as Maulik, Marco Morales (of Christopher Nolan’s BAFTA, People’s Choice Award, and Grammy Award–Nominated/Brit Award–Winning The Dark Knight Rises), and Michael James Vargas.
Maulik is a fighter poised for taking the title and becoming one of the most famous in MMA. He is hailed for his ability and his tactics which have earned him win after win. At a time when he should be on top of the world with those closest to him giving support, the opposite is true. From his trainer to his wife and nearly everyone else, he feels secretive intentions. To make things worse, Maulik is repeatedly haunted by dreams of himself in a past life as a warrior named Navya. Navya was a respected leader and fighter who was betrayed by those closest to her and murdered in a secret attack. Navya speaks to Maulik warning him that the past must not be repeated. The simultaneously enticing and anxiety-producing aspect of this film is the way in which it doesn’t reveal too quickly if this is a feverish paranoia of Maulik’s or perhaps something truly metaphysical. This all fuels the apex of the film and Maulik’s championship match.
What truly separates this film from any other of its kind is Navya and the performance Geetika Budhiraja delivers. This warrior of an ancient tribe is vague at first but during regression sessions as part of his therapy, Maulik begins to see and understand more about her. Malik uncovers detailed memories of Navya’s life. He learns about her rise as a warrior, her battles, and her betrayal by her own family. Navya’s family, threatened by her growing influence and fearing a shift in power dynamics, plotted against her. Her rise in a male-dominated society led to her being both respected and feared. Her growing power became a threat to her own family, resulting in a tragic betrayal. As he begins to inhabit Navya’s body, Maulik experiences her brilliance and power. Inspired by Navya’s courage and strategic mind, Maulik starts integrating her lessons into his daily life. He becomes more discerning in his relationships and approaches challenges with greater foresight. In addition to researching the time period of Navya’s existence, Ms. Budhiraja exhibits in her performance the intense martial arts and weaponry training she undertook for this role. The scenes of Navya in combat are thrilling, which is no small feat considering this is a film about MMA fighters. Still, Geetika is insistent that the emotional demands of Navya were even more formidable. She informs, “Navigating the physical exhaustion that accompanies this intense preparation was a constant challenge, especially during prolonged shooting schedules. Even so, one of the biggest challenges I faced in preparing for the role of Navya was empathizing with her profound sense of betrayal and heartbreak, especially being killed by her own parents. The emotional intensity required to embody her turmoil is overwhelming at times. Tapping into the deep feelings of betrayal, confusion, and heartbreak Navya experiences often left me feeling drained and nauseous. I found myself constantly balancing empathy for Navya’s plight with self-care to avoid emotional burnout.” That same feeling is transferred to the audience as witnessing this betrayal of Navya, a woman who has given so much of herself to protect those who fear her power rather than loving her for it, is the heart-crushing moment of the film.
Strong physical female roles seem to be a positive and intriguing trend for Hollywood films. The BAFTA–Nominated The Woman King starring Viola Davis, Charlize Theron in Atomic Blonde, and Geetika Budhiraja in How Much Do You Want to Know; these all indicate that the industry and the film-going public are more enticed than ever by female actors in highly physical leading roles.
Writer : Winston Scott