▁an ▁art ▁director ▁on ▁San j ay ▁Le ela ▁Bh ans ali ' s ▁Sa aw ari ya ▁( 2 0 0 7 ), ▁Om ung ▁K umar ▁started ▁writing ▁two ▁scripts ▁simultaneously ▁for ▁his ▁director ial ▁debut . ▁However , ▁none ▁of ▁the ▁films ▁were ▁made . ▁He ▁then ▁asked ▁writer ▁S ai w yn ▁Qu ad ras ▁to ▁look ▁for ▁a ▁female ▁bi ographical ▁subject ▁for ▁his ▁first ▁film , ▁specifying ▁" a ▁role ▁that ▁no ▁actress ▁would ▁turn ▁down ." ▁He ▁added ▁that ▁he ▁" w anted ▁to ▁make ▁a ▁film ▁that ▁would ▁be ▁like ▁the ▁Mother ▁India ▁of ▁someone ' s ▁career ." ▁Historical ▁personal ities ▁such ▁as ▁R ani ▁La x mi ▁B ai ▁and ▁Queen ▁Elizabeth ▁I ▁of ▁England ▁came ▁up ▁for ▁discussion ; ▁however ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁insp ire ▁K umar . ▁Qu ad ras ▁put ▁forward ▁the ▁name ▁of ▁five - time ▁world ▁box ing ▁champion ▁Mary ▁Kom , ▁who ▁despite ▁numerous ▁achiev ements , ▁was ▁at ▁that ▁time ▁an ▁un famil iar ▁name ▁in ▁India . ▁K umar ▁admitted ▁that ▁he ▁felt ▁dis g usted ▁after ▁being ▁told ▁of ▁Kom ' s ▁achiev ements ▁as ▁he ▁was ▁una ware ▁of ▁her ▁existence . ▁After ▁Qu ad ras ▁approached ▁K umar ▁with ▁the ▁script ▁for ▁Mary ▁Kom , ▁K umar ▁decided ▁to ▁make ▁his ▁director ial ▁debut ▁with ▁a ▁film ▁about ▁Kom . ▁ ▁Qu ad ras , ▁who ▁was ▁interested ▁in ▁sports , ▁started ▁writing ▁the ▁screen play ▁for ▁the ▁film ▁in ▁ 2