Mumbai: Director Neeraj Pandey’s much talked about biopic on superstar cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni is in troubled waters. The buzz is that MSD quoted an exorbitant amount from the filmmakers to give his consent for making the film.
While the team was in the process of reworking on the budget, after the exorbitant quotation from the sports star, yet another hurdle awaited them. Apparently, BCCI’s stern instructions have put abrupt brakes on Neeraj’s Sushant Singh Rajput-starrer untitled biopic on MSD. “We were informed that BCCI had a close door meeting with Dhoni. Since he is currently playing for the Indian cricket team, as per the rules, a biopic on him is not permitted,” says a close source.
Biopics on sports stars like Mary Kom and Milkha Singh have inspired many. Every filmmaker worth his or her name wants to capitalise on the trend. But to make a film on the life and career of a sports star, who’s currently under contract with BCCI, is not possible. “When films that are made on a budget of Rs 60 crore to Rs 70 crore are struggling to touch the Rs 100 crore mark, the amount MSD had quoted was sky high. What business will the biopic be expected to do after release, when the makers part with a big amount before the film goes on floor?” asks a trade analyst. The tricky situation has put the makers in a quandary. However, they are expecting to put the film back on track as soon as possible.
Filmmakers like Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra and Sanjay Leela Bhansali are instrumental in starting the trend. We quizzed Priyanka Chopra if there was any remuneration involved in acquiring the rights for Mary Kom. “For me playing Mary Kom was an all time high. The back story of the deal is not known to me,” states PC. Word has it that, the actress has taken charge of raising funds for Mary’s boxing academy. According to reliable sources, there was no money involved in getting the rights to produce the biopic on Mary Kom.
Similarly, the makers of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag too claim that they have not paid any money to the veteran sports star Milkha Singh.
“With every celebrity, the filmmaker works on different clauses. BMB was purely a tribute to Milkha sir. We wanted to showcase his contribution, success and pride on an international level,” says Farhan Akhtar, the reel life Milkha Singh.
Even actor Boman Irani, who is eagerly waiting to be a part of a biopic says, “Biopics are sacred subjects. Commercialising them is unfair.”
Dhoni’s exorbitant expectation could start a trend of getting filmmakers to pay huge amounts of money to them. Parting a huge chunk of moolah before the release of the film results in the costs of making the film shooting up. Will B-Town filmmakers succumb to the pressure? We need to wait and watch.
