MS Dhoni on silver screen: Sushant Singh Rajput to star in biopic
Actor Sushant Singh Rajput is all set to play Mahendra Singh Dhoni in an official biopic on the World Cup-winning Indian captain. Helmed by Neeraj Pandey the movie is likely to feature Deepika Padukone as Dhoni's wife Sakshi.
He is one of India’s most-loved cricketers, with millions aping his every move — from his constantly changing hairstyles to his famous helicopter shot.
And now, World Cup-winning captain
is set to have a brush with Bollywood as an official biopic on his life is in the pipeline.
We’ve learnt that
is going to don the captain’s jersey in the film that is being helmed by Neeraj Pandey (he directed A Wednesday, 2008).
"Dhoni has already given his go ahead to the film. Even as Sushant is shooting for
, he is studying Dhoni’s mannerisms as much as possible through his interviews and match clippings. In fact, he has also visited Ranchi (Dhoni’s hometown) and interacted with the locals as part of his preparation," says an insider close to the production.
and Dhoni are also believed to have met at a Bandra five-star hotel. "We don’t know the reason, but we had seen the two of them together right before Dhoni left for the New Zealand series," says a member of the hotel’s staff.
While the biopic is expected to cover Dhoni’s journey — from a small-town boy to a global phenomenon — a part of it will also focus on his wife Sakshi. "They are considering Deepika Padukone or Shraddha Kapoor to play Sakshi," adds the insider.
The yet-untitled film is likely to kick off in early 2015. “He has to transform his body before filming. Since he also has to wrap up Dibakar’s and Shekhar Kapur’s films, which require different physiques, it’ll take some time for the biopic to get started,” adds the insider. Apparently, it will be made on a budget of around `95 crore and shot in Jharkhand, Durban in South Africa, and London, among other locations.
Despite repeated attempts, neither Sushant nor Neeraj could be reached for comment.