Shahid Kapoor, who was keen to headline the cast, had announced the project six months ago
Rachana Dubey (BOMBAY TIMES; August 9, 2019)

It has been about six months since Shahid Kapoor announced his decision to turn producer with the biopic on Manipuri boxer, Ngangom Dingko Singh. The actor had also expressed that was keen to headline the cast. The film, to be directed by Raja Krishna Menon, was originally expected to go on floors by the end of this year with schedules planned in Manipur, Delhi and an undisclosed international location. However, the movie, currently at an advanced stage of development, might not go on floors any time soon.

Confirming this, Raja told BT, “Shahid and I have often spoken about the film over the last few months. He wants to do it and is really keen to make it well. The thing is, after we procured the rights, sealed the various deals and got down to the writing table, he got busy and so did I. I had another commitment, too. We’ve not arrived at a final draft of the script even now. And with his recent run at the box office, things have changed. He’s not been in the country for the last two-three weeks, and has taken time off to think about what he wants to do next. This film might not be the one he does close on the heels of Kabir Singh. For now, we’ve put Dingko Singh on the backburner. We’ll revisit it the moment Shahid is ready to do so.”

For those who came in late, Dingko Singh is considered to be among the best boxers in India. He won the King’s Cup in Bangkok in 1997, and also bagged a gold medal at the Asian Games in 1998. He is a service personnel of the Indian Navy and was awarded the Padma Shri in 2013.