Seventy7 Ventures has officially completed an $800,000 fundraise to finance the first season of She Will Play, a groundbreaking docu-series that will spotlight the untold stories of young girls breaking barriers through football. Filming is scheduled to begin in early 2026.
At the heart of the project is The Lions of Manipur — a feature-length, unscripted documentary set in the northeastern Indian state of Manipur, known as India’s “football factory.” The film will follow the journeys of three young women whose lives embody courage, resilience, and the pursuit of equality in a landscape where opportunity is scarce and social norms are stacked against them.
She Will Play is envisioned as a multi-season, returnable series spanning India, the UK, and the USA. Season One, titled “Discovery,” will explore India’s emerging generation of female footballers — girls who play against all odds, fighting for recognition in a system that has historically marginalized them.
The series will then expand globally, bridging these grassroots stories with the professional ecosystem through training academies and trials across elite football environments in the UK and the US.
“She Will Play is more than a sports documentary — it’s a movement. It’s about rewriting the narrative for girls who’ve been told they can’t, and showing the world what happens when they do,” said Ketan Makwana Executive Chairman of Seventy7 Ventures.
The project is directed by Avijit Pathak, former Head of Creatives at VICE Media (APAC), whose body of work spans award-winning films and campaigns across Asia, Australia, and the Middle East. Story production is led by Avani Batra, a veteran filmmaker whose credits include Slumdog Millionaire and Delhi Crime (Netflix).
With women’s football participation surging globally — up 56% in the UK alone in the past four years and FIFA’s mission to double the number of women and girls playing football to 60 million by 2026, She Will Play aims to capture this pivotal moment of transformation and empowerment.
“The timing is perfect. The world is watching women’s football like never before. These stories from India will resonate globally — they are universal stories of ambition, courage, and belonging,” added Pathak.
She Will Play is being developed as a flagship production within Seventy7 Ventures’ expanding portfolio of purpose-led content ventures (7 Seven Productions). The series has already attracted interest from global streaming platforms and sports media distributors, with distribution discussions currently underway.
Filming will commence in Q1 2026, with the release expected in 2027
About Seventy7 Ventures
Seventy7 Ventures is a capital and growth advisory firm that partners with visionary founders, creators, and changemakers to scale businesses and brands across emerging sectors. From Web3 and creative media to sport and sustainability. The firm provides capital strategy, embedded leadership, and growth infrastructure to help ventures accelerate impact and reach.
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