Padma Chorol, a pioneering player in India’s national women’s ice hockey team, is making her acting debut in the Ladakhi-language independent feature Birds on Ice, which has been selected for the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) and will be screened in the 'A Window on Asian Cinema' section.
Directed by Mumbai-based filmmaker Sahil H. Shah, the film brings Chorol’s real-life experience as an ice hockey player into a fictional coming-of-age story set against the landscape of Ladakh.
In the film, Chorol plays Paami, an ice hockey coach and star player for India’s women’s national team. She trains a new generation of young players while fighting for basic equipment and support for the sport in Ladakh. Chorol’s character becomes a mentor to Tashi, a 10-year-old girl who dreams of playing ice hockey. Living with her grieving grandfather while waiting for her missing parents to return, Tashi watches children train on ice rinks and mimics their movements from a distance.
The relationship between Tashi and Paami anchors the film's narrative. However, when she receives an opportunity to study abroad, Paami is forced to consider her choices.
For Chorol, who has represented India at various international venues since 2016, winning a bronze at the IIHF Women's Asia Cup last year, the film blurred the lines between her life as an athlete and her first acting venture. “Portraying myself in Birds on Ice was a special and emotional experience for me because the story is closely connected to my own journey and my passion for ice hockey,” she tells THR India. “It gave me an opportunity to share not just my experiences as a sportsperson, but also the challenges, dreams and determination of women athletes from Ladakh.”
She hopes Birds on Ice will inspire the women of Ladakh to forge their own destinies through sports.
“I truly believe the film can be a source of inspiration for young women who aspire to take up ice hockey, skating or any other sport,” Chorol says. “Ladakh has immense talent, and girls here only need the right opportunities, encouragement and support to pursue their dreams.”
Director Shah has spent years documenting the ice hockey scene in Ladakh. When he met Chorol, he says, it was her personality beyond the rink that inspired him to cast her in the film.
“Directing Pami was a surreal experience for me,” Shah says. “What struck him about Chorol was the contrast between that toughness and her warmth. She had this incredible warmth and calmness, but beneath it was a quiet fire — a deep desire to see ice hockey reach somewhere in this country.”
Birds on Ice was filmed over two months in sub-zero conditions in Ladakh. It features a predominantly Ladakhi cast and crew, included local residents and ice hockey players. The film features music by Grammy-nominated Tibetan-Australian musician and composer Tenzin Choegyal.