Asira Tarannum (MID-DAY; June 2, 2015)

Looks like the proposed biopic on Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni will not be able to roll this week. The much- delayed project is said to have hit a roadblock again — this time round, due to apparent financial concerns.

Sources say the studio on board is currently negotiating the budget with Dhoni, who is co- producing the film. The biopic will require a lot of footage of cricket matches from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which is believed to have quoted Rs 15 crore to provide the same.

A source explains, “The makers have refused to pay Rs 15 crore and the negotiations are still on. Besides, some recent films backed by Fox Star Studios have not done well at the box office, so it is wary of incurring further losses. It wants to make a commercially viable movie where they put in a moderate amount of money and are able to recover it.”

Director Neeraj Pandey and the studio officials remained unavailable for comment. The film apparently has a budget of Rs 80 crore while Dhoni is said to have been paid around Rs 40 crore to lend his life to the big screen.

The film, which stars Sushant Singh Rajput as the protagonist, was supposed to roll last year. However, it was delayed as the script was being reworked considering recent developments in the Indian skipper’s life, including his Test retirement and the birth of his daughter.

A source close to the project says, “The script is ready and once all the financial technicalities are worked out, the film will take off.”