‘It was a fantastic, wild journey’: India’s first F1 driver Narain Karthikeyan’s life to be immortalised on screen

Twenty years ago, Narain Karthikeyan made history when he became the first Indian to race in Formula One at the 2005 Australian GP for Jordan Grand Prix and broke the glass ceiling. Now, his inspiring and pioneering journey is set to be immortalised on the silver screen through a feature film.

The Tamil-language biopic, to be directed by Mahesh Narayanan, is expected to hit the screens next year. 

Hailing from Coimbatore and growing up in a time when motorsport was at a nascent stage in the country, Narain quickly showed his prowess both home and abroad. He made rapid strides through his impressive performances in some of the most competitive championships, including the British Formula 3, the Macau Grand Prix, and the World Series by Nissan, before stepping up to F1.

“People understand what F1 is now after Drive to Survive (documentary series on F1 championships) on Netflix, and now the F1 movie as well. So it’s great to tell the story about India’s first F1 driver. To break all the barriers to get there coming from India, there is a lot of drama in it,” said Narain in a chat with Sportstar.

Recently, the F1 movie, starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, was released to great acclaim. The film is set during the 2023 Formula One season, featuring breathtaking visuals shot at iconic circuits around the world, which has generated massive interest in the sport.

“You can see how tough it is, and F1 has always been like this. It is tough to be one of the elite 20 drivers. To then break other barriers, it was tremendously difficult, but it was exciting as well. Formula One was my dream, and I think it was a fantastic and wild journey,” added the former F1 driver who started 46 races over three seasons (2005, 2011-12).

The 48-year-old recalls that not many expected an Indian to be fighting amongst the top drivers in the world. “Twenty to 25 years ago, we were just opening up, and people saw Indians as professionals like lawyers or doctors, not racers. To put it in perspective, it took another 16 years after my debut for a Chinese F1 driver.”

FILE PHOTO: Indian Formula One Race Driver Narain Karthikeyan (L) with his teammate snapped during the launch of the Jordan team in Russia.
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Narain revealed that the project has been in the works for the last 18 months, and he will be involved in ensuring the on-track action is filmed realistically, which will include training the lead actor in the basics of racing.

Since his debut, the sport has experienced a steady rise in popularity in the country. India hosted an F1 race for three years, from 2011 to 2013. Indian businessman Vijay Mallya owned the Force India F1 team from 2008 to 2018, although only one other Indian (Karun Chandhok in 2010) has reached F1.

“Through this story, we want to show Indians can compete in F1. If it could be done 20 years ago, it can be done now, and hopefully, this inspires the next generation of sportspersons and racers,” said Narain on what the ultimate aim of the movie is.