Even as Sushant Singh Rajput is gearing up for MS Dhoni’s life story and Aamir Khan is wrestling with his Christmas release, Mirror has learnt that a biopic on Captain Hawa Singh is in the pipeline with John Abraham in mind to play the six-foot-one boxer. He joined the army in 1956 at 19, and four years later, bested reigning champion Mohabbat Singh to win the Western Command Boxing Championship. Hawa Singh dominated the national circuit with 11 consecutive championships from 1961 to 1972, a record yet to be challenged in the Heavyweight category. He couldn’t go to Jakarta for the Asian Games in 1962 due to border problems with China, but represented India in the '66 and '70 in Bangkok, winning two consecutive gold medals. Even in the '74 Tehran Games, he knocked out his Iranian opponent in the final round but because of a refereeing mistake, the host nation’s boxer, Bura, was handed the fight in one the biggest faux paus in boxing history. “He continued to stand tall, with dreams of going to the Olympics, of fighting Cassius Clay (later Mohammed Ali), but was road-blocked by politics,” says a source, adding that even after he retired, the third recipient of the Arjuna Award in boxing, didn’t move away, going on to found the Bhiwani Boxing Club which sent four boxers to the Beijing Olympics in 2008; Jitender Kumar and Akhil Kumar made it to the quarter finals while Vijender Singh made the nation proud by striking a bronze.

Their coach and mentor died in Bhiwani, on August 13, 2000, just 15 days before he was to receive the Dronacharya Award. He was cremated in a stadium on India’s Independence Day. His wife, Angoori Devi, accepted the award. He also did not also get to celebrate his student’s big Olympic win. “The makers haven’t approached Vijender yet but will if needed. They plan to shoot in Delhi, Vaishnodevi, Haryana, including his village Umarvas, and Thailand. They will also use actual boxers, will fly them down from Pakistan, Bangladesh and other countries. This is not the story of an underdog but a champ who was never defeated in the ring but lost to politics, with a love story woven in,” says the source.

Sam Fernandez, former COO of Vidhu Vinod Chopra who enjoyed a stint with 20th Century Fox, has bought the rights to Hawa Singh’s story. He will produce the film with his partner, John and a studio. “The director finalised by July and the film is expected to roll in October,” adds the source. Sam confirmed the news, “Yes, I am making a biopic on Captain Hawa Singh.”

Quiz the source on John and he says he’s the only actor who can play this man who was a giant both inside the ring and off it. John says, “We are both six-feet-one and weigh 94 kgs. His son, Sanjay Singh, daughter-in-law and two grandkids, came to see me. I've not signed it yet but the family, Sam and I are all very excited about this project.”