Charting a new innings in entertainment after his successful run in international cricket, former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni and wife Sakshi are swiftly working towards rolling out new projects from their stable, Dhoni Entertainment. Months after they announced a mythological web series based on an unpublished book, the duo are now creating India’s first animated spy universe, with the protagonist based on the star cricketer. 

In an ode to the former skipper in jersey number 7 who led the Indian team to many victories, the animated fiction show has been tentatively titled Captain 7 and will see the protagonist, complete with Dhoni’s physical attributes, as a secret agent who takes on the baddies. “The concept and story are great. The show will bring to life my other passions, along with cricket,” says the sporting icon.

Sakshi, who is creatively driving the project, adds, “When Black White Orange [studio] came to us with the concept of an animation fiction show based on Mahi, we were on board. With Captain 7, a whole lot of adventure awaits [his fans].”

Currently in pre-production, the first season of the multi-edition series will launch in 2022. 

Over a month after he announced his retirement from international cricket, former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is charting a new inning in the entertainment industry. The sports star, who had launched his banner Dhoni Entertainment in 2019 with the multilingual documentary Roar Of The Lion, is developing a wide slate of projects for the next year.

Talking to mid-day, Sakshi Dhoni, who serves as the managing director of the production house, reveals that they have zeroed in on their second offering. "We have acquired the rights of an unpublished book of a debutant author. We will adapt it into a web series. It is a mythological sci-fi story that explores the journey of a mysterious Aghori and is set at a high-tech facility on a remote island," says Sakshi, adding that the adventure drama explores the genre of magical realism. Currently in the process of developing the series, the creative team will finalise the cast and director soon. It is heard that the studio is simultaneously working on five other projects.

The cricketer is currently in the UAE, leading his team Chennai Super Kings from the front at the ongoing Indian Premier League. While cricket remains Dhoni's first love, Sakshi says the studio is their joint passion. "When we were developing Roar Of The Lion, we thought it was the perfect time to venture into the entertainment industry. We aim to give a platform to deserving talent to showcase their skills along with providing fresh and original content to the audience. Mahi will be partially involved [in the production house]. The day-to-day running of the company is looked after by me. We have a process to ensure quality control from the word go. Mahi and I take the final call with our team's inputs and suggestions. Our aim is to produce good stories from our heart."

Unnati Joshi (BOMBAY TIMES; September 5, 2020)

The coveted list of The Times 20 Most Desirable Women on Television 2019 is out. Based on their popularity and votes of an internal jury, these gorgeous women, who have wooed the audience on Hindi TV shows, have grabbed a spot on this list. Hina Khan tops the list for the second consecutive year. The actress, who played the demure Akshara in Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai for many years, was appreciated for her style quotient on Bigg Boss 11 and as Komolika in Kasautii Zindagii Kay 2. Excerpts from an interview with the actress:

This is your second year as Times Most Desirable Woman on TV. What are your thoughts on grabbing the top spot again?
TV has given me everything that I wanted and more. I have a lot of respect for the medium and all my contemporaries. I must say that the title of the most desirable woman on TV is quite intriguing, and I accept it with a lot of love. It’s like being called the most-dreamed-about girl (laughs!), who wouldn’t like that?

According to you, what are the qualities that make you desirable?
I think what connects me to my audience is the way I portray each character that I play. Mostly, these roles are very different from who I am, but I try to bring in the real me in them as well. Also, I put in a lot of effort in the way my character appears — the mix of real, probable, sexy and dreamy, and I think that makes me desirable.

Who, according to you, is the most desirable man and woman?
For me, the most desirable woman is Priyanka Chopra Jonas. She inspires me, and I am sure, millions get inspiration from her in ways that even she wouldn’t know. As far as the most desirable man is concerned, I really like Mahendra Singh Dhoni and his subtleties, calm persona and his charisma.

Kiran More recounts the nine months he spent with Sushant Singh Rajput to prepare him for M S Dhoni’s role
As told to Deba Prasad Dhar (MUMBAI MIRROR; June 15, 2020)

A disarming smile when he would get smacked in the face by the hard, leather ball. An actor who had a parallel world of books, which seemed to give him immense peace of mind. And if more release was needed, he would turn to his cars. He had quite a few of them — the Maserati Quattroporte was his favourite. That’s the Sushant I knew, the one whose cricketing skills I had to sharpen for the movie, ‘M S Dhoni - The Untold Story’.

Before I started preparing him for the role of Dhoni — we trained together for nine months — I had warned him that discipline would be non-negotiable. Discipline is an overworked word in sport, but without Sushant’s unwavering focus, he couldn’t have done justice to Dhoni’s character.

I was clear that he would have to report on time for practice and carry his own kit. I had him agree to another condition — he would have no spot boys and security guards at nets.

We would practise at the Chandrakant Pandit Coaching Clinic in Mumbai, daily from 7 to 9 am.

Facing the leather ball was never going to be easy for someone who had been brought up on tennis-ball cricket. Training him in wicketkeeping was more challenging. Even someone as prodigiously talented as Sachin Tendulkar might not be comfortable if abruptly asked to do the job behind the stumps.

So we eased him into wicketkeeping drills. First, we made him do basic catching drills with the tennis ball before making him wear the keeper’s pads and polish the art of neat collections.

He would be hit frequently on the fingers, chest, face and legs, but not once did he whine.

If you watched the movie, he was slimmer as young Dhoni and had to look heavier later. Sushant managed to achieve both. He had to sweat buckets to raise his fitness levels. Everybody knows Dhoni has naturally-built strong thighs. To get Sushant’s legs to that level, we engaged Rajesh Sawant, the then U-19 fitness trainer who passed away three years ago.

I was witness to Sushant’s complete transformation as a cricketer. Like we did with his wicketkeeping, we tried making him comfortable with the bat. We started giving him throwdowns before unleashing fast bowlers at him.

The batting drills became progressively tougher. We made him bat on uncovered wickets with unpredictable bounce. Once a delivery cut through the grill of his visor leaving him with a bloodied nose.

Each day, he would joyously give me a count of his bruises, but he never stopped training.

It took him roughly three months of rigorous practice — sometimes against the bowling machine — to execute the helicopter shot, considered the toughest in the sport. It was surprising, for I hadn’t seen many cricketers look comfortable playing it. I remember a shoot in Jamshedpur where he was demonstrating the helicopter shot – it was as though he had been practising it all his life.

Once we were training at Mumbai Cricket Association’s Bandra-Kurla Complex indoor facility. Sachin Tendulkar had accompanied his son Arjun for a net session. Sushant was batting at the adjacent net. Sachin was curious to know who this man was. Sachin was stunned when he learned he was Sushant. “He’s batting like an accomplished batsman,” he beamed. Subroto Banerjee, the former India pacer who was also around, told me: “Man, you’ve turned him into a cricketer.” I can’t express in words how nice I felt that day.

As his stint with me was coming to an end, I could see another makeover in him. The way Sushant would communicate with people, carry his kit, wear his pads and gloves…he had gotten into the skin of Dhoni’s character. The actor had become a cricketer.

I may have worked on fine details like changing his stance and his grip, but in nine months Sushant had become Dhoni in flesh. Spending considerable amount of time with Dhoni had its wondrous effects too.

I can’t believe such a warm person — that’s the Sushant that will stay with me — has left us so abruptly. To say I’m shocked is not the word.

The cricketer and honorary lieutenant-colonel has developed show to tell stories of decorated jawans
Himesh Mankad (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 9, 2019)

After being run-out by Martin Guptill in the nail-biting World Semi Final against New Zealand in July, Mahendra Singh Dhoni took a break from cricket and completed a two-week stint with India’s Territorial Army in Jammu and Kashmir in August—in 2011, he had been conferred the rank of honorary lieutenant-colonel for his contribution to the sport. He also used the sabbatical to spend time with wife Sakshi and their daughter, Ziva.

While the former Indian skipper has been away from the field for almost five months now and speculation around his future has only intensified, Mirror has learnt that Dhoni also used the break to come up with a TV show. According to a source close to the development, the show will go on air on Star Plus in a few months.

“It is a series revolving around personal stories of military officers who have been feted for gallantry with top honours like the Ashoka Chakra and Param Vir Chakra. Dhoni knows the journey of the people who have selflessly served the nation and the hardships they have faced while doing so. He wants to bring them into the limelight through his show,” the source informs. The show is currently being scripted, with the team sorting out the formalities to get the shooting started.

Dhoni’s business partner, Arun Pandey, forayed into film production with the biopic M S Dhoni - The Untold Story (2016). There has been talk of the cricketer coming up with more inspirational content under his own banner ever since.

Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; June 10, 2019)

Ranveer Singh, who plays Kapil Dev in Kabir Khan’s ’83, has found his Romi Bhatia (the legendary cricketer’s wife) in Deepika Padukone. Not only that, but Deepika has also come on board as the co-producer of the film. The project will see the Bollywood power couple reunite for the first time after their marriage. Deepika says it was one of those roles that she gave the nod to as soon as Kabir offered her the film. She adds, “I am so glad that Kabir came to me with it. This happened a couple of months ago, when he was still casting the boys for the film. It’s just that I was busy with Chhappak (her production debut, which wrapped up recently) and we were waiting for the right moment to make the announcement.” In a quick chat with BT, she talks about the ambitious project, how sports have influenced her life and, of course, about teaming up with her real-life partner for the fourth time in her career. Read on…

’83 is your first film with Ranveer post-marriage. Do you think the dynamics between you as actors will change?
When you are in the business of movies, you are playing a character. Of course, all of this is yet to play out, but at the end of the day, you are essaying a role, and at that point, you are not thinking whether your co-actor is your husband, brother or someone you know closely. All you try to do is, be honest in that moment. The personal equation doesn’t spill over into the workspace. I can’t think of anyone else who could do justice to the role (of Kapil Dev), but if there was someone else playing him in the film, and not Ranveer, I would still do my part. This isn’t coming from a personal equation, but from my passion and enthusiasm for the film.

Ranveer has spent a considerable amount of time with Kapil Dev to get into the skin of the character. Do you intend to spend some time with Romi to understand her perspective and role in the legendary all-rounder’s life and career?
There isn’t a lot of material available on her. I have met her a few times, including our wedding reception, and I have interacted with her socially over the years. I am also referring to whatever material the director’s team has sent across to me. My parents have known their family for many years. So, I feel I know her and hope that she is proud and happy with the film. I intend to connect and spend some time with her before I start filming to be able to understand her perspective better.

Will you be sporting Romi’s chic boy-cut hairdo for the part?
Well, you will have to wait and watch!

We have often seen fans blame and troll WAGs when an athlete fails to perform, Anushka Sharma being a case in point when Virat Kohli doesn’t have a great knock. Don’t you think that it is unfair and out of line?
I have been part of state teams when we were not allowed to travel with our parents, and we could only travel with the team. Honestly, I don’t think I am in a place where I can say whether athletes should or shouldn’t travel with their families, or whether they are a distraction or not. At the end of the day, it’s how an individual reacts to that situation. Some athletes play really well with their families around, while for others, it could be a distraction. Maybe, it should be left for the athlete to decide. However, what worries me is the inconsistency. Why should someone (family) not be given the credit if they (athletes) perform well? What about when someone doesn’t play well when their spouse is not around? Similarly, when they play well and create world records, the credit should also be given to the family.

In fact, families play a crucial role in an athlete’s career, don’t they?
Yes, I have seen it from close quarters because of my parents. A support system that a wife or family is to an athlete often goes unnoticed. It was important for me to be a part of this film to highlight the personal journey athletes go through when they are playing and performing at such a high level. The focus is usually on the professional achievements, and we tend to ignore their personal and humane aspects, and the sacrifices an athlete and his/her family have to make to support one person’s dreams and ambitions. I have seen that with my mother (Ujjala Padukone). I don’t think my father could have been half the champion that he was if it wasn’t for my mom. She, along with my grandparents and his siblings, have played an integral role in his success. In fact, I always have the utmost respect for homemakers, as their job is the most selfless. To be the backbone of the family, while others step out to nurture their ambitions, and to be that person who puts others’ needs before their own, is a very selfless thing to do. It was important for me to tell this story to the audience.

Ranveer and you have contrasting personalities, is your approach as actors different? Do you feed off each other’s energy?
Yes, I think so. We have worked in three films together, and they have all been successful. Individually, we are strong and different personalities, and when put together, we know how to feed off each other’s energy and that’s the beauty of it. I think Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-leela was a classic example of that. It’s exciting and challenging at the same time.

Who is a bigger cricket buff between the two of you?
Let me put it this way, Ranveer is a bigger cricket buff and follows it a lot more, but he has found a good companion in me. We discuss sports. I come from the sporting world, I understand it and have my own opinions. When I saw Ranveer train for the part, I could tell that it is something that he is inherently good at. Maybe, he lost touch because he started playing other sports. A few months of training has really brought him back and made him a good cricketer.

Who are your favourites in the Indian cricket team?
I like Rahul Dravid’s personality and the way he has conducted himself off the field. It’s not just about the way one performs on the field, but also what they stand for and represent. For me, an ideal sportsperson would be a mix of M S Dhoni and Rahul Dravid. For his kind of achievements, it’s amazing to see how simple, humble and grounded Dhoni is. He could have become arrogant and even given up the sport, but instead, he is constantly pushing the envelope. There is so much to learn from him as a person. I think both of them are extremely inspiring and they remind me of the way my father conducted himself.

Besides, co-producing '83, you are also producing Chhappak. Your choice of projects makes it evident that you are keen on backing unconventional subjects.
I will always be true and authentic with my choices. Earlier, it would be my choices just as an actor, today I have an opportunity to extend that scope into production, as well. The films I do, as an actor, producer, or both, are an extension of my personality and who I am.

As an athlete yourself, how has your sports background helped you in your acting career… like being sporting enough to stomach a flop or being patient enough to wait for the right film. Do you think that your experience as a sports person helped you survive in a difficult industry like Bollywood?
Absolutely, I think you just summed it up. There are certain life lessons that I learnt on a playing field that I probably wouldn’t have learnt otherwise. Sports is an integral part of who I am. I wouldn’t have been half the person that I am today, if it wasn’t for my experience as an athlete. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been exposed to sports, not just as a hobby, but in a competitive environment. Dedication, discipline, determination, patience, how to handle success and failure — when you experience it through an athlete’s lens, it’s very different. I have used the lessons I learnt from that time in my life, both, personally and professionally.

Indu Mirani (MUMBAI MIRROR; November 27, 2018)

Every Sunday at 5.30 pm, an ordinary football ground, be it at St Stanislaus or St Andrews, both in Bandra, morphs into eye candy nation. That’s when huge SUVs draw up and disgorge young, athletic, fit and stunningly good-looking men: members of the All Star Football Club who assemble to practice their shots and hone their lightning fast reflexes. These may be just practice games but this bunch of lads takes it very seriously, doing a 30-minute drill before the game and matching each other in serious competition with high-fives and cheers thrown in for a good shot.

The All Star Football Club was started by film producer and sports enthusiast Bunty Walia, owner of GS Worldwide Entertainment, six years ago, answering the question of how to use sports among the actors in the film and TV industry for charity. Football was the chosen game and he first approached Abhishek Bachchan and Ranbir Kapoor, both of who were passionate about the game and hailed the idea. In no time at all the group had grown to 26, with some of the best known names from film, TV and fashion including Arjun Kapoor, Kartik Aaryan, Dino Morea, Aditya Roy Kapur, Leander Paes, Karan Wahi, Shoojit Sircar, Ishaan Khatter, Jim Sarbh, Shabir Ahluwalia, Sachiin Joshi, Shashank Khaitan, Vivian D’Sena, Armaan Ralhan, Rohan Shrestha, Antoni Pecora, Aparshakti Khurana, Aadar Jain, Caesar Gonsalves, Armaan Jain, Harpreet Baweja, Marc Robinson, Vikram Thapa and Karan Veer Mehra. Abhishek is captain and Ranbir is vice captain. When they play the team wears “bibs”, which are essentially loose vests with their team colours and the legend “Playing for Humanity”, their credo, on them.

The day we go to watch them practice there are Abhishek Bachchan, Ranbir Kapoor, Shabir Ahluwalia, Aparshakti Khurana, Marc Robinson, Armaan Jain, Armaan Ralhan, Aadar Jain, Vivian D‘sena, Shashank Khaitan, Harpreet Baweja, Antoni Pecora and Karan Mehra. Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the former Indian cricket captain has turned up to play and instantly the cool-ometer of the boys goes up hundred-fold. He is easily absorbed into the group and with no airs or pretensions, going through the paces like anyone else. Bunty tells us that Mahi joins in whenever he is in Mumbai and has done so a few times already. Of statistical interest is the fact that Marc Robinson, looking decades younger than his 55 years, is the oldest player in the group.

The club has raised a whopping Rs 5 crore so far for various charities including Magic Bus and Waheeda Rehman’s foundation. The players themselves charge nothing and willingly give up their time and energy three or four times a year for worthy causes, besides their weekly practice sessions.

Abhishek Bachchan is the spokesperson of the group and though he says that they celebrate their wins by first everyone saluting him and then going to a restaurant and eating boiled chicken, except Mahi who eats butter chicken, he adds in an aside, the fact is they celebrate by going out for a meal, pulling each other’s leg, laughing at in-jokes and generally being boys. A loss brings on introspection, analysis and more intensive practice sessions.

What keeps this club together is the sense of brotherhood, of belonging to the same family, says Abhishek, a thought that Ranbir agrees with when asked separately and which has everyone nodding in unison. But what about professional rivalries, we ask. “There are no professional rivalries, everyone knows the pecking order,” Abhishek says in a stern voice and immediately everyone else dissolves into laughter. Obviously ego is not something that comes into play here.

At practice, Bunty plays referee and they bully him relentlessly. “They do listen to me too, if it was anyone else they never would. You know actors and their egos, no?” And that is exactly where their charm lies. Big, small or medium, from TV or films, no one is trying to be one-up on the other and they play like a composite whole, supporting each other, following one of the most important tenets of sports.

Angad on how the cricketers serve as references for his role in The Zoya Factor
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; September 3, 2018)

Before daddy duties come calling, Angad Bedi intends to wrap up The Zoya Factor, a project close to his heart. He is set to kick off the shoot of the romance comedy, featuring Dulquer Salmaan and Sonam K Ahuja, later this week.

One would assume playing a cricketer will be a cakewalk for Bedi, considering his father Bishan Singh Bedi has been one of the brightest stars of the sport. He says it’s not the cricketing skills but his “gregarious character” that will need work. “My character Robin has the bad boy charm. It’s demanding to play a guy who is the object of adulation. I have not ventured into a gregarious character like this before,” says Bedi, who is toiling away at the gym to achieve a lean look. “I have to look ripped, so I am already working on that.”

While the Abhishek Sharma-directed film is an adaptation of Anuja Chauhan’s popular novel by the same name, the actor says his part has been specially developed for the screen. Ask him if his role is modelled on any particular cricketer, and he says, “I am not sure parallels can be drawn, and it’s best we don’t put names to who plays what. If one has to understand my character sketch, it would be a mix of Yuvraj Singh and Virat Kohli. Dulquer’s would probably be along the lines of M S Dhoni and Rahul Dravid. But it is up to us to bring our own interpretation to the roles.”

Sequel to Sushant Singh Rajput starrer Dhoni biopic to focus on former skipper's T20 wins, 2015 World Cup
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; July 4, 2018)

After enjoying the biggest hit of his career so far in M S Dhoni - The Untold Story (2016), Sushant Singh Rajput is ready to hit the cricket pitch again.

Given Mahendra Singh Dhoni's spectacular career, it's not surprising that industry folk feel his journey in the world of cricket warrants a sequel. We hear, Ronnie Screwvala's RSVP Films is producing the second instalment that will see Singh reprise the role of the former Indian cricket team skipper.

With rumours about the second edition hitting headlines yesterday, a source close to the actor revealed that the film will focus on Dhoni's achievements post India's victory at the 2011 World Cup. The winning of the coveted title was where part one concluded. "There is the [Dhoni-led Chennai'] thrilling win against Bangalore at the T20 [this year, that can be depicted in the film]. Apart from that, India's steady run, up to the semi-finals, at the 2015 World Cup will find a place in the narrative," says the source, adding that milestones from his personal life — which includes becoming father to daughter Ziva — are likely to make it to this instalment.

Like in part one, this edition will see "a fair share of involvement from Dhoni, particularly during the scripting process," the source reveals. Expected to go on floors next year, the film may take precedence over Rajput-starrer biopic on Paralympic Games hero Murlikant Petkar. Even though the director for the sequel is yet to be decided upon, the actor is expected to resume his cricket lessons soon. mid-day reached out to Screwvala who remained unavailable for comment.

Ready to kick off The Zoya Factor in August, director Abhishek Sharma says, unlike in the book, South star's part won't be modelled on former skipper
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; June 20, 2018)

Given the legal battle that preceded its release, the unlikely success of Parmanu: The Story Of Pokhran would have warranted a vacation for director Abhishek Sharma. But he is already neck-deep in work on his next — The Zoya Factor — based on Anuja Chauhan's bestselling novel by the same name. Featuring Dulquer Salman and Sonam K Ahuja, the film, Sharma informs, will go on floors in Mumbai by August end.

"I don't want to be known for a single genre, and this film takes me to a space I have not tried before. It's an amazing book. We locked the final script after nine drafts," says Sharma, who is happy to have "perfectionist" Chauhan at the helm of dialogue writing for the romance-comedy. When the book — that revolves around an advertising executive, Zoya Solanki, who tags along with the Indian cricket team to the World Cup because she is believed to be their lucky charm — was published in 2008, it was assumed that the male protagonist, Nikhil Khoda, was modelled on then-captain M S Dhoni.

However, Sharma insists Salmaan will add his own interpretation to the character of the Indian team skipper. "It's a fresh character. Once we start workshops next month, it's up to Dulquer how he approaches the part. Dhoni is an easy reference, but the Indian skipper has changed since 2008. So there's no reference; Dulquer will bring his own interpretation to the table."

Marking the first collaboration between Kapoor and the South star, the film's forte will be the chemistry between the leads. "Sonam Kapoor and Dulquer will make a fantastic pair. They are so unique and affable. Plus, the screenplay lends itself to a crackling equation between the protagonists, Nikhil and Zoya. The final touches will be attained in the rehearsals."

Sarita A Tanwar (DNA; June 7, 2017)

Sushant Singh Rajput’s next film is up for release. And he faces a dilemma. In his last film, he convinced the audiences that he was Dhoni. In Raabta, he plays a character that is nothing like the cricketer, and has to convince the public that he is this character. No biggie. That’s an actor’s job. But, this is a special case because so many months of work went into becoming MSD. And Sushant admits that he still slips into the cricketer’s character subconsciously and has to check himself. Here, SSR talks about the trouble with playing someone else all the time. Read on...

Do you think your generation of actors, relies too much on prep? Isn’t acting all about instinct?
Preparation is required. I will tell you why. Acting is such a delicate job. You know that I am not Dhoni, but you are buying a ticket. So, it’s my job to become him and convince you that I am him.

A senior actor says, ‘Hamare zamaane mein yeh sab nahi hota tha, hum log acting dil se karte the’. Agree?
I guess it is a very frequently-confused topic. People ask me, ‘Oh, there are method actors and there are spontaneous actors’. There is always a method to spontaneity. It is just that anybody who is confident can learn his lines... The thing is, you prepare for a while so that you start behaving in a certain different way to what comes naturally to you. So you change your spontaneity from each and every film, that’s what you are required to do as an actor. Hence, there has to be a method and also time with it, so that you deliberate repetitions. You do it so many times that it becomes a part of you. But that doesn’t mean I will not prepare and will have the same spontaneity in each and every film. And I will still be a good actor.

Your Dhoni prep worked. You transformed into MSD on screen.
Thank you. It takes a lot to convince the audience what you are watching could be true. As an actor, I have just those two hours to convince you that I am somebody else. Then in the next film, I need to convince you that I am also somebody else. And the characters that I play are diametrically opposite. There is not even an iota of similarity between them. Still, I have to make sure. That is the tricky thing.

Did you find that even after Dhoni film was over you were walking and talking like him?
Yes. The mannerisms still come sometimes and I ask myself: Why am I behaving like this? I think I am also every character that I have played. And there is a certain thing that has stayed with me.

Dhoni persona is very evident.
Because, there is a reference right?

Correct, because one has been seeing him for years.
I was watching a video of mine yesterday — I am self-obsessed like that for some reason — in this Vogue shoot, I had to take my shirt off and walk. And suddenly I was like, ‘Why am I walking like Dhoni?’ So yes, it happens. It still happens.

The actor, who was applauded for his fine on-screen portrayal of his cricket idol in the biopic MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, expresses his thoughts to BT after Captain Cool resigned as the skipper of the ODIs and T20 on Wednesday...
BOMBAY TIMES (January 6, 2017)

Sushant Singh Rajput talks about success, regrets and the choices he’s made in life
Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; October 24, 2016)

MS Dhoni: The Untold Story may have been a huge hit with the critics, audiences and at the box office but the tragedy is that the industry is not ready to cheer for Sushant Singh Rajput. His phenomenal performance is what made the film work, and not the subject of the biopic. The film worked because he became Dhoni, otherwise it wouldn’t have. Sitting in his tastefully done up bachelor pad in Bandra, we chat about everything — from the hits to the misses, his success to his regrets. Excerpts...

In your previous interview right before Dhoni, you had claimed the Rs 100 crore-mark doesn’t matter to you. Does your film’s successful run change that?
There’s no difference in terms of what I feel about what I do. I would still say the same, maybe. But there’s one thing I have realised after sitting with so many people who are trying very hard to make me realise that it’s a big thing, there’s that one thought that came. It means that next time, when I do a Byomkesh, maybe it will do slightly better at the box-office. That’s a good thing. Except for that, I don’t think it changes anything.

Have you started feeling or thinking like a star now?
I don’t understand how to be a star. I don’t know what this word actually means. If that means people would come and watch your film irrespective of how your film is, I don’t wanna be one. It depends on what your definition of star is. I don’t know what it is, I don’t know how to and I don’t intend to become one.

Do you feel Brand Dhoni has helped better Brand Sushant?
Of course, if you look in that context, then yes! Look at the kind of opening we got. I have no shame in admitting that it was because of Dhoni and also because of Neeraj Pandey’s trailer. People wanted to know their hero’s story. That was the reason why we got the opening. People were anticipating it to be Mahi’s story and went in for that. But it would not have done so well had Neeraj not made it so well. It’s both. The way Neeraj looked at the subject and also, Dhoni’s popularity. Let me punctuate this again. I don’t matter because I have worked equally hard in Byomkesh Bakshy or my other films, but not all of them did the business this one did. Does that mean I’ve not worked hard enough for those films? No! I am equally proud of all those films as I am of this one. My excitement doesn’t change. Whether the film does 50, 100, 200 crore or if I do theatre, TV or make my own films — I will still be as excited.

What was the best compliment you received for your performance?
I have slightly more respect for people who pay to watch you and give you a feedback. Not because they are your fans but because they think of the film in a certain way. Some messaged to tell me that they are Mahi’s fans and they didn’t go to watch the film because I’m there in it. They made sure I knew that. But in the last shot, ‘we got to know we were not watching Mahi throughout’, they’d say. So that says a lot.

You watched the film recently with your entire family. What did they tell you?
Yes, I watched it with my sisters and my dad and this was one of those rare times when we were together and were watching my film. They were so excited and they knew that this event is happening. Now was the time that we were together after a while. It was their Sushant’s film so they were all emotional. They were happy, they kissed me and a lot of things happened. (Smiles) They said that after 10-15 minutes of my entry in the film, they felt they weren’t watching me, but Dhoni.

You have surpassed all your contemporaries in the opening day race.
I’m very happy with the numbers but it doesn’t change the idea of my skills. The intent, the honesty towards work is always there. But sometimes, it doesn’t work. I do a film because there are a few things I understand and few things I don’t. To understand what I don’t is why I do the film. So sometimes, I will get it, sometimes, I won’t. If I’m bad, I’m worse than the worst actor on this planet. But if I’m good, nobody can beat me. So it changes every time you do a film, not with every number that you get.

Don’t you feel that you are a much better actor compared to your contemporaries?
I don’t take myself seriously, so I don’t get affected actually. But if you ask me if I would take out two hours of my time tomorrow and who I would watch, I would say Ranbir Kapoor. And maybe to a point, Ranveer Singh. Although my favourite actors are Irrfan Khan, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Rajkummar Rao. But I still don’t mind giving my two hours for Ranbir or Ranveer. I can’t think about doing it for anybody else. So I guess that answers your question.

Have you raised your fee?
Fortunately or unfortunately, I already had around five films before Dhoni released. So there’s no point renegotiating anything. (Laughs) But if I decide to go and attend shaadis and all, I would take a bigger chunk. But not for films. I do other stuff because I take too much time for one film. So I’ll do everything else for money, but I would do films only to find that ‘why’ I told you about. Money is not a consideration for me. But it’s only up to my management who has to decide dates. So how do we decide? If I’m offered five films and I like two, but I can do only one. It will come down to money offered. That’s my management’s job. I don’t know how much money I have or my bank balance.

Now that’s my headline...
(Laughs) Honestly, money was a very big differentiator when I was growing up. I belonged to a middle-class family and had four sisters. Everyone was educated, but I wanted to go to a university and couldn’t. Thankfully, I was good in studies and got through on my skills. I never liked money too much. If I have the skills to study in this university, I should. But why couldn’t I go? Because of this stupid thing that I could not have earned back then. All I know right now is I have at least that much money — not that I have a lot — but it’s enough that I don’t have to think about it!

Will you now veer towards more commercially viable films?
What is that? There’s nothing like a sure-shot box office success. If a film does well, people would say this is the genre, this combination works. Next time, it doesn’t work, you will come up with something else. We like to tell ourselves that we know s***. But nothing can guarantee you box-office success.

Still feel like an outsider?
No, I have started getting invited to these parties, so I guess I’m improving a lot. (Laughs) It took some time. (Smiles) I am an introvert, so I cannot hold a conversation for too long. I’m not interesting enough. Never in my dreams also, can I see myself walking up to a stranger and talking. I can’t see myself being the centre of attraction at any i party.

Sushant picks
One film among the contemporary actors you would have loved to do:
Ranbir Kapoor: Rocket Singh- Salesman Of The Year because it was a very layered character and I think he gave his best in that film. The nuances were in place and you need eyes to appreciate what he did. And unfortunately, that film didn’t do as well at the box office. So these numbers don’t explain anything. Unless I’m the producer of the film. Then it would mean everything. (Laughs)
Ranveer Singh: I’m still to watch Bajirao Mastani but the kind of appreciation he got from insiders of the industry, I would like to believe that he did an amazing job. I’m planning to watch it so probably that one!
Arjun Kapoor: 2 States because he played an MBA student. I know that world and I also fell in love with a girl back in college. So maybe I would understand those emotions well.
Varun Dhawan: Badlapur. Again, a very layered character sketch!
Aditya Roy Kapur: Fitoor (Smiles). I don’t need to give a reason for this one, I believe
Sidharth Malhotra: Again I want to watch his Baar Baar Dekho which I’m planning to watch now. At the idea level, it sounds interesting.

Sushant Singh Rajput about being a selfish actor, about learning from Dhoni and the differences and similarities between them
Upala KBR (DNA; September 30, 2016)


MSD is an introvert. How was your first meeting with him?
I’m the same. So, before we met, there was this thought: who is going to talk? (Laughs) Initially, I’d just listen to and record him. The first time, he showed me how to play shots. The second time, I gave him 250 questions. Like things that defined him, his perception of himself and such things.

What was the conversation like?
I felt flattered because when we started talking, MSD seemed very interested in my conversation. I was thrilled till I realised that he was like that with everyone. I felt a bit deflated (laughs) and thought, ‘Oh I am not important.’

Please continue..
He is always in control and I have learned that from him. How to be in control of everything, Earlier, I used to be completely obsessed about the future or my past. From MSD, I learned that obsessing about things leads you nowhere. Dhoni changed me as a person. I was shooting in Mauritius and one night, I went out of my room and lay down on a private road just staring at the stars above. The last time I did that? I must have been be around six or seven years old.

Your reaction to being offered The Untold Story?
I was curious. When I play a character, I only think about myself. As long as it only centres around me, it doesn’t matter. In a way, I am a very selfish actor. That’s my way of exploring different things, as I am very bored of my perception of myself. I need to pretend I am somebody else. So from the first day of the shoot, in my head, I am the character.

Let’s talk about his temperament.
Dhoni lives in the moment. He has a definite sense of right and wrong. For him, it’s like this: five things are right and these five things are wrong. And the other 90 per cent of things he doesn’t care about. I am slightly more dynamic as I tend to think it through again and again. Every time just because something is right, I may not do it. I don’t have opinions.

Are you Captain Cool like him?
No, but I have learned that I can become that. Rather than obsessing about the future, which you can’t do anything about, it’s better to be cool and calm and focused on right now.

Has he gone out of your system?
You need to destroy what you have been doing for the last few months and then you change. While playing a character like this, you just randomly pick some things and mannerisms which will always remain. I have figured out how he thinks. It’s different and good, so you don’t want to let it go. It stays with you because you want it, so you are never the same person when you start and finish the film.

BOMBAY TIMES (September 28, 2016)

Even as patrons await to see Sushant Singh Rajput playing Mahendra Singh Dhoni in Neeraj Pandey's biopic, we hear that the Indian cricket captain recommended the actor for the film. Apparently, after seeing Kai Po Che on a flight, Mahi felt Sushant was the right actor to emulate him in M S Dhoni -The Untold Story.

When the makers of the movie were shortlisting actors to play the protagonist, our Captain Cool suggested Sushant's name, insisting that no other youngster was in the space to work on a realistic biopic.Interestingly, both Mahi and Sushant have had similar journeys, coming from small towns and making it big in their respective fields.

Producer Arun Pandey, who was accompanying Dhoni when they watched the actor's debut film on the flight, says, “Seeing Sushant bowling, fielding and talking about cricket, we thought he could be the perfect man to play the role. Moreover, we wanted someone who's raw, hardworking and wants to deliver the essence on screen.“