Harsh Varrdhan Kapoor has given himself an ultimatum. The actor-producer will take the Abhinav Bindra biopic — which was announced in 2017, and is an adaptation of the rifle shooter’s autobiography A Shot at History: My Obsessive Journey to Olympic Gold — on floors next year. “This is the last creative introspection [needed]. We will 100 per cent shoot it in 2023,” says the actor, who will step into the shoes of the Olympic gold medalist, while Anil Kapoor will play his father.

Harsh Varrdhan says he has remained passionate about the film primarily because Bindra’s personality resonated with him. “I like to play characters that are on the [margins] of society, and don’t comply with [its rules]. In Bhavesh Joshi Superhero [2018], he isolates himself from society after his best friend’s death. In Thar, I play an outsider who comes to the town. Similarly, Bindra is not your typical athlete; he is not the show-off, muscular sort of [sportsperson].”

His choices so far have been as unique as they are niche. With the biopic, he is hopeful of a commercial breakthrough. After Mirzya (2016) and Bhavesh Joshi Superhero failed at the box office, it hasn’t been a smooth ride for the actor. He is aware that the quick judgments passed against him for being a star kid only made it tougher.

“I enjoy pursuing my individuality. When Mirzya didn’t live up to the expectations, everybody wrote me off. It also suits the agenda because I come from a big lineage. People don’t want to root for someone who, they think, has had it easy. But I’ve changed a lot of opinions from my first film till now. I am relentlessly creative.”