Ranbir Kapoor, who was in Kolkata on Sunday, won over his fans when he played a spot of cricket with Sourav Ganguly at the Eden Gardens. The friendly match was significant as it came at a time when speculations about the actor playing Sourav in the latter’s upcoming biopic have hit a crescendo. Though both refuted the ‘rumour’, there was enough action on and off the field on Sunday to keep the speculations alive.

“I think Dada is a living legend, not just in India but also around the world. And a biopic on him will be very special. Unfortunately, mujhe yeh film offer nahi huyi hai. I think the makers are still writing the script.”

“It’s a dream come true. Dada bowled 10 balls to me, and it’s just like every kid’s dream to play with him at Eden. I’m going to cherish this moment.”

Ranbir evidently had a finger on the pulse of the City of Joy when he said that he enjoyed aloo posto, puri and shorshe maachch for lunch. He added, “I’m a big mishti doi lover. Toh main char balti mishti doi kha ke aaya hoon.”

He was also happy discussing football leagues and World Cup matches during his interactions. At Eden Gardens, even as Sourav heaped praise on Ranbir as an actor, the star called Sourav a “national treasure”.

The actor said, “Har biopic ke liye bahut mehnat lagti hai. When I did Sanju, it was not just about how he walks and looks, but more about what he is as a person, his soul. I think that is more exciting as an actor. To me, understanding a human being deeply before portraying him is very important. Main gyarah saal se Kishore Kumar ke biopic pe kaam kar raha hoon. We’ve been writing that with Anurag Basu and I’m hoping that it’s going to be my next biopic.”

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Speculation around Ranbir Kapoor being finalised for the biopic of former India cricket captain Sourav Ganguly doesn’t seem to die down anytime soon. A bunch of photos showing Kapoor and Ganguly playing cricket at Kolkata’s Eden Gardens surfaced online on Sunday, fuelling the speculation. While the photos sparked excitement among fans, the actor has set the record straight once and for all.

During an event in Kolkata for the promotion of his next movie, the 40-year-old said, “I think dada (Sourav Ganguly) is a living legend, not just in India but around the world. A biopic on him will be very special. Unfortunately, mujhe yeh film offer nahin hui hai. I think the makers (filmmaker Luv Ranjan and team) are still writing the script.”

However, there’s one biopic that Kapoor seems to be super excited about — that of legendary singer-actor Kishore Kumar (born Abhas Kumar Ganguly).

“I have been working on a biopic on Kishore Kumar for the last 11 years. We have been writing that with (filmmaker) Anurag Basu and I’m hoping that it’s going to be my next biopic,” said the actor, who played actor Sanjay Dutt in the latter’s 2018 biopic Sanju. “But maine abhi tak dada ke upar jo biopic ban rahi hai, uske baare mein kuchh suna nahin hai. So, I don’t know,” added Kapoor.