The shooting of the film “Hansie”, based on former South African Cricketer Hansie Cronje is completed and the film will be released on 24th of September across Africa.

“Hansie” is the name of the film, based on the life of late South African skipper Hansie Cronje. His brother, Frans Cronje, has made the film. He is a capable filmmaker, who won an Italian award for his earlier film, Faith Like Potatoes. According to Frans, the film is an internal journey of a cricketer from stardom to losing everything and then, the journey to rebuilding his life once again. The film was shot in South Africa, England and India. The movie has been produced by Global Creative Studios, which is a Cape Town based production company headed by Frans Cronje. South African actor, Francois Rautenbach, will play the role of Hansie Cronje in the film.

Cronje was a role model and a national hero for the South African cricket, until his involvement in the match-fixing scandal was exposed in year 2000. He was banned fro the game and died in a plane crash in 2002 in suspicious circumstances.  The filmmaking has seen many obstacles. Firstly, the American firm, who had promised to finance the film, pulled out of the deal. But some businessmen provided the finance to the film and now it has been completed.

The film has some very emotional scenes like the one when, Hansie breaks down in tears after confessing his involvement with illegal bookmakers to the King Commission, which was appointed to inquire into the match-fixing scandal of 2000. Frans admitted that when he was shooting the scene, he felt that everything, that happened earlier, happened again! He added that every one present on the set was crying while shooting that scene! According to Frans, the other scene that will touch people’s emotions is when, Peter Pollock, the former South Africa all rounder, talks to Hansie after the King Commission.     

Frans had not used any real cricketers in the film because he felt that the movie is a drama and it should have experienced actors to do the job. To play cricket in the film Frans had caste younger players from different academies from South Africa and India. After reading the screenplay of the film, the Cricket South Africa (CSA) felt that the story is told with integrity in the film. So, the board has given its "official endorsement and support" for the movie.

The film's DVD set will include a special documentary on Hansie and will feature interviews with his family, team-mates and friends including Allan Donald, Andrew Hudson, Gary Kirsten, Jonty Rhodes, Peter Pollock, Shaun Pollock, and Kevin Pietersen.

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