Writer and producer of the BAFTA award winning documentary ‘Senna’, Manish Pandey, has been given exclusive rights by Bernie Ecclestone to make an eight-part docu-series titled ‘Lucky!’.
Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone who arguably built the sport, has given Pandey’s company Jiva Maya permission to produce an eight episode documentary all about Ecclestone and how he built the FIA Formula One World Championship. The series will include unprecedented archive straight from Formula 1 Management. The series’ worldwide sales will be represented by ICM.
Ecclestone who is now ninety years-old, has been filmed extensively at his home in Gstaad during the Covid-19 lockdown, where he shared both his and Formula 1’s life story from birth. Pandey was left completely in awe of Ecclestone.
“Bernie has been able to reflect, not just on his days as one of the greatest sporting impresarios of all time, but also on his life. In his 90 years, he has travelled the world and met everyone who is anyone, yet he remains incredibly personable and immensely funny. It is a joy to tell his extraordinary story, in full, for the first time”
Pandey and Ecclestone clearly have a strong relationship, with the supremo having never shared his full story before.
“This is the first time I’ve trusted anyone to tell my story and the story of Formula 1, and Manish is the only storyteller and director who I believe can bring these to the screen. And he isn’t just a great storyteller – he’s also a great fan. He’s been watching Formula 1 since he could walk and his knowledge of the world and its ‘movers and shakers’ is encyclopaedic and his passion unsurpassed.”
For the documentary Formula 1 have supplied tens of thousands of hours of archive for Pandey and Jiva Maya to use, to gage the viewer as much as possible. CEO of Formula 1 Stefano Domenicali, is excited for the story to be told and believes there is plenty of anticipation surrounding the series.
“Formula 1 is a truly global sport with over seventy years of history created by Bernie that has a huge part of making the sport what it is. With half a billion global fans, and races in 23 countries, the interest and excitement around Formula 1 is huge and there will be eager anticipation for the series that will take the viewers on a journey into the life of one of sport’s most interesting characters.”
