Legendary sports figures in this country never had it so good. After Milkha Singh and Mary Kom, Pooja Shetty of Walkwater films is all set to produce a bio-pic on the legendary hockey player Dhyan Chand.
The film on the Olympian hockey champ will be directed by Rohit Vaid who earlier directed Mahayoddha Ram, an animation film based on the Ramayan.
The Dhyan Chand project, we hear, has reached the final stage of scripting and negotiations are on to cast a star-actor in the main lead.
Which of the two very contrasting Khans, Shah Rukh Khan or Irrfan Khan, would grab the coveted part of the hockey legend Dhyan Chand?
It’s a question that the prestigious bio-pic’s producer Pooja Shetty, fights shy of answering. While Pooja confirms that she is producing the Dhyan Chand bio-pic she says it’s too early to speak of the cast.
However we learn from reliable sources that Ms Shetty’s production house has approached Shah Rukh Khan to play Dhyan Chand.
Says the source, “Shah Rukh’s affiliation to hockey after Chak De is irrefutable. He has shown a keen interest in doing the role. But the producers of Dhyan Chand want to start the film early next year. At present, Shah Rukh is committed to two projects: Rohit Shetty’s Chennai Express and Farah Khan’s Happy New Year. And that is 1 too many a project for him. If the producers of the bio-pic on the hockey legend agree to wait he can do the film in the second-half of 2013.”
In the meantime, Irrfan Khan has also shown a very keen interest in playing Dhyan Chand. After Paan Singh Tomar, Khan feels Dhyan Chand is another sports legend whom the actor would like to take to the screen.
It remains to be seen which of the two Khans grabs the coveted role. But the project is a sure winner for its enthusiastic producer who has the two eminent Khans ready to play the lead.
Pooja Shetty confirms the relatively new director Rohit Vaid would helm the prized project.
