World Kickboxing Champion Ruqsana Begum's Memoir To Get Series Adaptation

Major European and United Kingdom producers are joining forces to produce a series on British-Bangladeshi Muay Thai Boxing World Champion. European producer BlackBox Multimedia, Seven Seas Films have partnered with writer Dan Sefton, known for his The Good Karma Hospital series, on a scripted adaptation of Born Fighter, a memoir of Muay Thai champion Ruqsana Begum.

Born Fighter is the memoir of Begum’s journey from being an ordinary teenager to becoming a Muay Thai world champion. Her story is a coming-of-age sports drama in which major challenges that she faced outside the ring. Her battles through an arranged marriage, hiding sporting glory from her parents, coping with mental health illness, and consistently defying the expectations of what a Muslim woman’s role ought to be.

Ruqsana Begum is an English professional kickboxer and boxer. She was a British and World Kickboxing Association female Atomweight (48–50 kg) Muay Thai boxing champion and captain of the British Muay Thai Team. In March 2018, Begum made the switch from professional kickboxing to boxing.

Reportedly, writer Dan Sefton will be leading a diverse writing room and Begum will be playing an essential role in the development of the series.

Suggested Reading: Are Unitards Enough To Fight ‘Sexualisation’ Of Women In Sports?

Ruqsana Begum Memoir

Born Fighter was written by Begum herself with Sarah Shepherd and released in 2020. The film was shortlisted for The William Hill Sports Book Of The Year Prize and also won The Telegraph Sports Book Awards Autobiography of The Year, 2021.

Ruqsana Begum was quoted as saying that her story is about overcoming obstacles, growing and embracing the challenges of life. She says her story is a universal one that will be relatable to audiences across the globe on different levels and layers.

The Development Producer of BlackBox, Shefali Malhoutra in a statement said, “Ruqsana's complex journey from underdog teenager to world champion kickboxer is both highly subversive and broadly appealing. When we read ‘Born Fighter,’ we were instantly convinced that Ruqsana’s story will entertain, enthral and inspire audiences across the globe.”

Meanwhile representative of Seven Sea Films, Simon Lupton, “In ‘Born Fighter’ we are convinced we have that rare gem which delivers dramatically, but with a perspective and authenticity that can only come from being a true story. We are excited to be working towards bringing Ruqsana’s journey to screen as we strongly believe her experiences will engage, move and inspire the audience. Hers is a voice that needs to be heard.”