Actors who can play athletes in biopics

Tennis star Sania Mirza wants Parineeti Chopra to play her in biopic

Sania Mirza has over and again brought laurels to the country with her tennis victories. This young sportswoman has always maintained that if a biopic was to be made on her life, then Parineeti Chopra would be the perfect actress to essay her. However, according to a report on Mid-day.com, Sania’s mother does not feel the same. The report states that her mother recently mentioned on a television show that she felt that Sania herself should act in her biopic. It further goes on to say that Sania, who was also a part of the same show, blushed on hearing her mother’s statement. Well, it would surely be delightful to see this cute tennis sensation on the big screen.

Read on to know more about cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s biopic…

Sushant Singh Rajput is currently shooting for his next - the Mahendra Singh Dhoni biopic. The actor who played a cricket coach in his debut film Kai Po Che will now be seen playing the Team India captain in the film. Moreover, a look at his Holi photoshoot with girlfriend Ankita Lokhande instantly reminds us of Captain Cool MS Dhoni. Sporting long locks, Sushant looks much like the cricketer did in his younger days. Now that's called playing the character convincingly.
And it’s just Sushant Singh Rajput, even Aamir Khan is undergoing a makeover to play a wrestler in a sports biopic. Read more…

According to a report in Movies.ndtv.com, Aamir might play the father of the women wrestlers Geeta and Babita who made an appearance on Satyamev Jayate. Sources have been quoted in the report as saying that Aamir is preparing himself to play a character based on the life and struggles of Mahavir Phogat - the father of Indian women's wrestling stars Geeta and Babita Kumari Phogat. It is being reported that Aamir will be undergoing a lot of training to play a wrestler who trains his daughters to take up the sport. It is a rather difficult role to play. He needs to look like a wrestler and also sound like one for his role in the film that has been tentatively titled Kushti.

After Farhan Akhtar set the ball rolling with his brilliant portrayal as Milkha Singh that won him many Awards, and Priyanka Chopra showcased boxer Mary Kom's life on the big screen, we list down actors who can easily pull off the role of an athlete on the silver screen.

Aamir Khan: If the life of Sachin Tendulkar has to be brought on screen we can think of none other than Bollywood's perfectionist Aamir Khan to do the job. If a biopic is made on the life of Sachin Tendulkar, Aamir Khan would be the perfect choice for more reasons than one. Aamir is known for his passion for the gentleman's game. His film Lagaan that was in the race for the Oscars, had the backdrop of a cricket match and everyone would agree that Aamir did a wonderful job in the film. Another factor that makes Aamir more suitable for the role of cricket's most loved icon is that they also have the same height! All we now need is a suitable script and a director to be at the helm of affairs.

A film on India's captain cool, MS Dhoni, is underway. A biopic on India's most successful cricket captain, the film is to be directed by Neeraj Pandey of A Wednesday fame. Actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who showed his love for the sport in his debut film Kai Po Che is playing the lead role of the Indian skipper. According to a Mumbai Mirror report dated September 5, 2014 the successful cricket player demanded Rs 40 crore for the rights to make a film on his life.

After Farhan Akhtar set the ball rolling with his brilliant portrayal as Milkha Singh that won him many Awards, and Priyanka Chopra who showcased boxer Mary Kom's life on the big screen, we suggest a few actors who can do justice if offered the roles of these inspiring sports personalities. Read on to know which Bollywood stars we think will play India's top most sports stars for their biopics on the silver screen.

Shah Rukh Khan: Abhinav Bindra made history by winning the first Olympic gold medal for India but there is much more to this shooting champion's life that we may not know. A biopic on how Abhinav went on to become the World number one is a story the whole country may want to hear. We think Shah Rukh Khan will fit the bill if a film is made on the same. The superstar will attract the audience in plenty with his presence in the film about a sport that hasn't found many followers. While many may feel that the Baadshah Khan is known more for his romantic roles and won't do justice to the role especially that of a serious shooter, King Khan has films like Swades to shut everyone up. Since we have already seen Shah Rukh Khan as a hockey coach in Chak De! it will be a treat for all his fans to watch him in another sports film.

Salman Khan: From being one of the dishiest cricketers to later shedding his party-boy image and emerging as the serious cricketer and then battling cancer, Yuvraj Singh's life has been nothing less than a movie script. With his affairs and link-up rumours, Yuvi's life has all the requisite elements for a Bollywood blockbuster. And while we are speaking of blockbusters, we can't keep Salman Khan out of it for long. Also, since Salman Khan hasn't starred in anyone's biopic, it will be a treat for his large fan following. We don't know about you, but we are surely rooting for this story to be turned into a film!

Rajkummar Rao: He had a successful tennis career, a great partnership with tennis ace, Mahesh Bhupathi and perfect life until tennis player Leander Paes came into the limelight for the wrong reasons. Leander Paes' real life story has a lot of twists and turns what with the custody battle with his wife, Rhea Pillai. The glamour connect with Leander's model wife Rhea Pillai and his own Bollywood debut makes his life appealing for the average cine-goer too. We think Citylights actor Rajkummar Rao will pull off Leander Paes' reel life character well. Considering he has excelled in his choice of roles so far, Rajkummar's dedication will come in handy while portraying Leander's life.

Deepika Padukone: Reportedly a biopic on Saina Nehwal is underway and none other than filmmaker Mahesh Bhatt at the helm of affairs. Rumours were rife that the actress and badminton player Prakash Padukone's daughter, Deepika Padukone has been roped in for the same. While we haven't had any confirmation coming in from either Mahesh Bhatt or Deepika herself, news reports suggest that Saina is keen to have Dippy on board for the same. Since Deepika is a badminton player's daughter and a good badminton player herself, we think it will be an easy job for her to slip into this character. Also, a plus point for Dippy would be that her daddy dearest could help her out with the training!

John Abraham: John Abraham has been an avid football fan. The actor has always made his love for sports evident. After owning a hockey team, John is all set to produce a film on football. So when we thought who would be the right person to star in a biopic if made on the life of football star, Baichung Bhutia, we think there is no one better than John Abraham. Although we have seen John play football in the film Goal co-starring his then girlfriend, Bipasha Basu, it would be a different ball game altogether to star in a biopic.

Akshay Kumar: Punjabi puttar Akshay Kumar is an unanimous choice when it comes to adapting the life of boxer Vijender Singh on screen. Akshay Kumar, with his good height and great physique, will be a good choice for the role. Boxer Vijender Singh has recently dabbled in acting with the film Fugly. While Vijender may not need someone else's help to star in his biopic after he himself has become a Bollywood actor, we still think an actor like Akshay Kumar would be able to pull in the crowds to the cinemas. Also since, Vijender Singh and Akshay Kumar are good friends and Vijender considers Akshay his Godfather in cinema, a biopic on Vijender should star none other than the Khiladi Kumar.