Director Amole Gupte has been busy researching for his film based on the life of badminton champion Saina Nehwal. Now, BT has got news that the actress who will play Saina has been confirmed. It's Shraddha Kapoor, who will essay the badminton ace in the biopic, produced by Bhushan Kumar, that will release in 2018. We contacted Shraddha, who confirmed the news. “Most girls have played badminton at some point in their lives in school. I feel so lucky to be playing Saina, who's not just been the world's No. 1 badminton player, but is also a youth icon. I can't wait to start prepping for my role,“ she said.

Reacting to the news, Saina, who's in China for the Badminton Asia Championships, said, “Whoa! That's news to me. I was aware of the film, yes, but I didn't know about the casting. It's great if Shraddha plays me because she is a very talented actress and very hardworking. I am sure she will do justice to the role. The best part is, she is a good friend as well. So it will be easier to teach her some badminton skills (laughs!). A lot of people did tell me that we do look similar and I think that's a huge compliment, because Shraddha is very good looking.“