Asira Tarannum (MID-DAY; February 12, 2015)

Buzz has it that the makers of M S Dhoni - The Untold Story were planning to launch the biopic on the Indian cricket captain in Australia this Sunday. They felt it couldn’t be more opportune as India begin their World Cup campaign there against arch rivals Pakistan on that day.

However, they have apparently reconsidered their decision to go Down Under for the launch. Says a source, “India’s poor form has been a cause of concern with several experts and ex-cricketers doubtful about the team’s chances of victory in its opening match. So, the makers of the Dhoni biopic were skeptical of flying down to Australia and making the announcement there.”

The Neeraj Pandey film was supposed to go on floors by the end of last year, but was postponed when Dhoni suddenly decided to hang up his Test boots. Consequently, the script had to be reworked. So far, only the film poster has been out — it shows actor Sushant Singh Rajput walking into the cricket field wielding the willow and donning MSD’s No. 7 jersey.

A source close to the project says, “Though plans to launch the film on the match day have been cancelled, they may go there during the later stages of the World Cup. At present, Sushant is also busy with the promotions of Detective Byomkesh Bakshy and wouldn’t have been able to go to Australia.” Pandey was unavailable for comment.