After directing Aditya Roy Kapur and Shraddha Kapoor in the Hindi remake of men tor Mani Ratnam's Tamil flick, OK Kanmani, director Shaad Ali is ready to roll with another love story, this one set in Punjab. Featuring Taapsee Pannu and Diljit Dosanjh, the yet-untitled film kicks off on October 4 and is inspired by real events from the life of India's ex-hockey captain and Arjuna Awardee, Sandeep Singh, and the woman who inspired him to be a hockey player.

“It's a beautifully woven love story about two ace hockey players, where the woman helps the man achieve his dream and go on to lead the country. It's a romantic journey of loss and love, dreams and hope,“ a source told Mirror.

Co-produced by Chitrangda Singh and Sneha Rajani, the film will focus on the events that led to the Haryana-born sportsman bagging the Man of the Tournament in the 2009 Sultan Azlan Shah Cup. It was a remarkable achievement for Sandeep who had been seriously injured in August 2006 after being hit by an accidental gunshot while traveling by train to join the national team which was to leave for the World Cup in Germany two days later. He was almost paralysed and on a wheelchair for the next two years. He surprised everyone by not just getting back on his feet but on the field too, scoring 16 goals to become the lead scorer in the qualifying tournament for the 2012 London Olympics. Earlier, he also bagged a silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi. Sandeep remained the leading scorer in the Hockey India League for the next three years - 2013 to 2015 - and also amassed a total of 178 international goals.

“Taapsee's character in the film is not just his love interest but also his biggest support through those two years of trial. Being a hockey player herself, her character inspires him to pick up the stick again. Her prep will require her to train in the sport. Taapsee is already a regular on the squash court and has trained in Mixed Martial Arts, Krav Maga and Aikido for her spy thrillers Baby and Naam Shabana earlier,“ adds the source. Recently, Alia had trained in hockey for her award-winning performance in Abhishek Chaubey's gritty drugs-drama, Udta Punjab.