Actress Shraddha Kapoor will play badminton champion Saina Nehwal in the biopic directed by Amole Gupte. The announcement was made via Twitter by the actress this afternoon.
SAINA NEHWAL – The former World no 1 badminton player. An Indian girl. An inspiration to millions. A youth icon in the truest sense. @NSaina pic.twitter.com/ZvXfAp7X7J
— Shraddha (@ShraddhaKapoor) April 26, 2017
Her journey to the top has been fascinating & I am honored to be given this opportunity to play her in my next film ‘SAINA’.
— Shraddha (@ShraddhaKapoor) April 26, 2017
The actress admitted that this film was her most “difficult” one till date.
The preparation for this film is going to be very, very challenging. It’s probably going to be my most difficult film till date.
— Shraddha (@ShraddhaKapoor) April 26, 2017
‘SAINA’ is going to be directed by Amole Gupte & produced by T series ❤️
— Shraddha (@ShraddhaKapoor) April 26, 2017
The film will chronicle the story of Saina’s rise to become India’s first winner of an Olympic badminton medal, a bronze in London five years ago. She had said of her biopic: “It’s a good thing; youngsters get to see their favourite player’s life.”
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Incidentally, when asked who she would like to play her on screen, Saina felt Deepika Padukone would be perfect. “Her father has been a badminton player and I have seen her playing badminton. She used to play really well. She can do justice to the role and I really wish she can do the role,” Saina told PTI early this year.
Director Amole Gupte emphasised that the biopic “will be different from several other biopics” because of its central figure. “How many times have we encountered either a male or a female Indian get prime ranking in a world sport? … This is the story of a ‘tigress beti‘, ‘princess beti‘ who set the badminton court on fire with her prowess,” Gupte had told IANS.
The film is slated to hit the screens sometime next year.