The makers of The Girl on the Train recently announced that the Parineeti Chopra-starrer will premiere on Netflix. Now, looks like a second OTT release is in the offing for the actor. Buzz in trade circles is that Saina, the Amole Gupte-directed biopic on former world No 1 badminton player Saina Nehwal, may take the digital route.

A trade source reveals, “Saina was slated to hit theatres last summer, but the plans came to a halt because of the pandemic. Now, the makers have again begun discussions about its release. Considering theatres are functioning at 50 per cent occupancy, they are considering an OTT release. A final call has yet to be taken.”

Shubhrajyoti Barat, who plays the sports star’s father Harvir Singh Nehwal, says, “The video-streaming platforms are an effective option. That said, these decisions are best left to the producers. The film may release in the next few months. Personally, I would love to see Saina in theatres.”

If Chopra picked up badminton and prepped extensively to do justice to her role as Nehwal, the supporting cast too met their real-life counterparts. “We interacted with Saina and her parents. Her mother [Usha Rani] narrated how she would drive 25 kilometres at 5 am to take the then-young Saina to badminton classes.”

mid-day reached out to Gupte about the film’s digital premiere, but he remained unavailable for comment.