Two-time Olympian Neeraj Chopra is among the most sought-after athletes in the country, and he knows that. Ask the Padma Shri recipient, who won a silver medal in javelin throw at the Paris 2024 Olympics and a gold at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, if he feels it’s the right time for a biopic to be made on him, and he says, “It’s too early.”
He explains, “I feel biopics should be made after a person retires. We have seen movies made on milestones [cricketer MS Dhoni’s 2011 ODI World Cup win, for instance], but mere hisaab se jitna aur add kar sakein career mein, country ke liye kuch kar sakein aur javelin ko apne desh mein aur popular kar sakein utna achcha hoga. Retirement ke baad agar biopic banegi toh maza aayega, kyunki story aur achchi banegi.”
So, does he have any actor in mind to portray him on screen? “I don’t know who would fit the role then, but for now, I can only think of Randeep Hooda. He is a great actor and he is from Haryana (Chopra hails from Khandra in Haryana). Jo bhi role play karega woh wahan ki language sahi se bole woh zaroori hai,” says the 26-year-old on his visit to Lucknow for the launch of Under Armour store.
Has he ever thought of acting in his own biopic, or in films? “Acting in a movie would be tough, but ads kar leta hoon main. People liked my credit card ad a lot, but it was tough for me, as I had never acted before. But, mujhe nahin lagta main acting ke liye bana hoon,” he replies.
It’s not just about cricket anymore!
{{/usCountry}}Has he ever thought of acting in his own biopic, or in films? “Acting in a movie would be tough, but ads kar leta hoon main. People liked my credit card ad a lot, but it was tough for me, as I had never acted before. But, mujhe nahin lagta main acting ke liye bana hoon,” he replies.
It’s not just about cricket anymore!
{{/usCountry}}While cricket has always been in the spotlight in India, Chopra feels things are changing slowly: “In India, cricket is played in every lane. Also, our team is doing so well. But, other sportspersons are also getting love and attention, especially after the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and our success in the Paris 2024 Paralympics. Support and performance go hand-in-hand. It’s great that people are watching other sports and parents are inspiring their children to join different sports... Ekdum se kuch nahin hota, but change to ho raha hai.”