Mumbai: It was long overdue. Finally, a biopic on hockey wizard Dhyan Chand is set to be reality.
To be produced by Ronnie Screwvala and directed by Abhishek Chaubey, the film will be released in theatres in 2022, reported Hindustan Times.
“Dhyan Chand is one of the greatest hockey players in the history of our national sport, and it’s a matter of pride to direct his biopic. We had massive amount of research material in hand, and honestly, every achievement of his life deserves a separate story in itself. I am grateful to have a brilliant creative force like Ronnie Screwvala backing the film, and we can’t wait to get started next year. Hoping to announce the lead actor soon,” Chaubey announced.
1500+ goals, 3 Olympic Gold medals & a story of India’s pride..
It gives us immense pleasure to announce our next with director #AbhishekChaubey– a biopic on the Hockey wizard of India, #DHYANCHAND@RonnieScrewvala @prem_rajgo @pashanjal @realroark @bluemonkey_film #SupratikSen pic.twitter.com/x4hhZfPyAR
— RSVP Movies (@RSVPMovies) December 15, 2020
The legendary Dhyan Chand played as a centre forward for the national team from 1925 to 1949 and scored over 550 goals in international 185 matches. He was instrumental in the Indian hockey team winning three Olympic gold medals – in 1928, 1932 and 1936.
Describing Dhyan Chand as the ‘biggest icon’ of Indian sports, Screwvala said: “Given the largeness and greatness of Dhyan Chand’s life achievements, I feel that there could be no one better than Abhishek to direct the film and it’s an absolute pleasure to collaborate with him again after Sonchiriya. Dhyan Chand is the biggest icon of Indian sports, whom the youth of today unfortunately don’t know much about. There couldn’t have been a greater underdog story than Dhyan Chand’s and I can’t wait to bring this film to the audiences.”
Dhyan Chand’s son Ashok Kumar, himself an accomplished hockey player for India, couldn’t hide his emotions. “There is no better hockey player in the world till date than three-time Olympic gold-medallist Dhyan Chand. When Rohit Vaid (co-producer) approached me with the desire to make a film on my father, I was instantly drawn to his intensity and passion for the project. The genius of Dhyan Chand and his achievements will be seen by the world and my family and I are thrilled to be part of this.”
Among those who had expressed interest in making a film on Dhyan Chand was eminent producer-director Imtiaz Ali, two years ago during the Hockey World Cup which was held in Odisha.
Also Read: A Film On Hockey Legend Dhyan Chand On Director Imtiaz Ali’s Bucket List
