NEW DELHI: At just 18 years old, D Gukesh has taken the chess world by storm, becoming the youngest world champion in history. However, like most of us, he finds joy in watching movies, with Hrithik Roshan‘s Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara being one of the grandmaster’s favourites.
In a recent interview with ChessBase India, Gukesh shed light on the list of favourite movies.
“In Tamil, it’s probably Vaaranam Aayiram. For Telugu, I like Geetha Govindam. In Hindi, I enjoy old movies, but Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara is my favourite. For English, About Time is one I liked,” he revealed.
Though not a frequent viewer, Gukesh values entertainment but keeps it balanced. “I still watch them. Entertainment is also important, and I developed some good habits after I started reading. From Queen’s Gambit, I got interested in watching series. But when I’m home, I try to keep it limited to half an hour per day or so. When I travel, I watch more of it so I’m not bored,” he said.
The World Chess Championship was a challenging journey, requiring mental strength against Ding Liren in a marathon 14-round match.
Despite setbacks, Gukesh remained composed and resilient, taking inspiration from tennis legend Novak Djokovic. “He is a fighter no matter what negative comments or booing happens around him. It triggers his best rather than breaking him,” Gukesh said.
Looking ahead, Gukesh remains focused on improvement, identifying rapid chess as a key area for growth.
With fellow Indian chess stars like R Praggnanandhaa and Arjun Erigaisi climbing the ranks, Gukesh sees their success as motivation. “We always have healthy rivalry amongst us and one success drives the others and vice versa,” he said.
