Abhinav's story to be filmed

Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra's autobiography 'A Shot at History' will be adapted into a film, with a US-based production house acquiring its movie rights.

Olympic gold medallist Abhinav Bindra's autobiography 'A Shot at History' will be adapted into a film, with a US-based production house acquiring its movie rights.

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Amit Bolakani, a New York-trained actor, found the book entertaining and insightful, and along with his business partners decided to acquire the rights.

"It's an inspiring Indian story that has cinematic appeal for a wider world audience. We are in the process of finding a director for the project," said Bolakani, who has trained with coaches who have worked with Hollywood actors Anna Hathaway, Leonardo DiCaprio and others.

It was Bollywood actor Rahul Bose's tweet praising the book that sparked the idea to obtain rights for the book.

Sportswriter Rohit Brijnath collaborated with Bindra in producing the autobiography. Published by HarperCollins India, the book was released in 2011. It describes how the Olympics were an all-consuming journey for shooter Bindra ever since he was shattering beer bottles and glass ampoules in his garden at Chandigarh.

Crestfallen by his failure at the 2004 Athens Olympics, when he fell short of winning a medal, he transformed himself from a boy who loved shooting to an athlete bent on redemption, a scientist who would try anything from mapping his own brain and drinking yak milk to climbing rocks to win the gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

The story of another Punjabi sporting hero, 'Flying Sikh' Milkha Singh, is the subject of an upcoming Bollywood film, 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag', featuring Farhan Akhtar in the lead role.