Bhubaneswar, July 21: Hockey players from the remote Sundargarh district are having their real lives played out on reel.

They have been featured in a documentary on how the game has become a way of life in India's rural hinterland.

The 52-minute documentary - Those Villages Breathe Hockey - was recently shot in the state. The film captures the struggles of passionate hockey stars in the state. Popular film-maker duo Jaydip Mukherjee and Aloke Banerjee from Calcutta directed the documentary, sponsored by Films Division under the Union ministry of information and broadcasting.

The film is also being shot in hamlets of Punjab, Karnataka and Jharkhand. A large number of national and international-level players have their roots in these parts of the country.

The crew was in the state last month to interview hockey players and coaches in various sports hostels of Bhubaneswar, Panposh and Sundargarh. "We watched the daily lives of the players from up close. We discussed the difficulties they have faced," said Mukherjee, who has been making documentary films along with Banerjee for the past 30 years.

He said the eagerness among the players from the tribal-dominated district of Sundargarh for the sport was enormous. "They have this great spirit and want to do their country proud. They are not bothered about getting anything in return neither do they dream of hi-fi facilities. All they want to do is play. We felt the country should know about them," said Mukherjee.

The shooting of the film has been completed and it will be released in three months. "The ministry will send the film to a number of international film festivals, and it will also be screened at various locations across the country," said the film-maker.

Bowled over by the spirit of the women players, the director said: "Many of them work in the fields for agricultural purposes, attend school and also find the time to practise hockey. Multitasking comes naturally to them."

Peter Tirkey, the first Odia who represented India in the junior World Cup and now a coach at SAIL Hockey Academy, Rourkela, said the players from Sundargarh were very strong. "Among all the players that I have trained, the Sundargarh players are unmatchable. They have great speed and can learn the techniques very fast. This district has produced dozens of national players and over 10 international players," said Tirkey.

Odia boy Piyush Puty is also making a documentary on the hockey players of the district. His 80-minute documentary titled The Tribal Scoop tries to capture the century-old tradition of hockey in the district.