By Rishabh Naudiyal Last Updated:
One of the highest-rated Indian films, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, was released back on September 30, 2016, but even today, whenever it premiers on television, viewers get hooked to it. The sports drama was directed and written by Neeraj Pandey. The film is based on the life of legendary cricketer, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the former captain of the Indian national cricket team and the heartbeat of a billion fans across the world.
The late actor, Sushant Singh Rajput portrayed the character of MS Dhoni in the film, and even today, it is considered as the best performance of his short but impressive acting career. Other prominent actors in the film, who played leading roles were Disha Patani, Kiara Advani, and Anupam Kher.
The film showcased almost every aspect of Dhoni's life and his journey from a young boy in Ranchi to one of the best cricketers in the world. However, there are some astonishing facts about the film, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, that every Dhoni and Sushant fan should know about. So without delaying it further, let’s explore them.
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One of the biggest highlights of the film, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story was the portrayal of Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s father, Pan Singh, which was done by the iconic actor, Anupam Kher. However, in order to get into the skin of his character, Anupam Kher shaved his moustache on the film’s director, Neeraj Pandey’s command. It was a massive personal moment for Anupam, as he hadn’t shaved his moustache for almost a decade. However, it’s fair to say that it paid off, as he received immense love for his performance in the film as Dhoni’s father.
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There’s no denying the fact that late actor, Sushant Singh Rajput left no stone unturned in getting into the skin of his character. The actor played MS Dhoni on the big screen so effortlessly that people didn’t miss Dhoni for a second, as he aced the role completely. The way he played that helicopter shot in the film was truly unbelievable. However, in order to get that crucial shot on point, Sushant used to practice the helicopter shot 225 times in a single day for almost nine months.
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In the film, the role of Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s childhood cricket coach, Keshav Banerjee was played by legendary actor, Rajesh Sharma. However, when the makers of the film met him, it was Sushant Singh Rajput, who requested Keshav Banerjee to train him just like the way he trained MS Dhoni decades ago. Once in a throwback interview, Keshav even talked about Sushant and revealed how he saw no difference between him and Dhoni. He said:
"He was after me, the way Mahi used to play it, what were his facial expressions. He was so focused. Single-minded determination. That's why it came out so well. You could not tell it was not Dhoni."
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If the reports are to be believed when Neeraj Pandey was working on the casting of his film, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story, he had thought about showing Virat Kohli in the film. As per multiple insiders, Neeraj had even shortlisted Pakistani actor, Fawad Khan’s name for playing Virat in the film. However, after discussing it with his creative team, the filmmaker dropped the idea at the last minute.
As per a report of The Quint, Mahendra Singh Dhoni charged a whopping sum of Rs. 45 crores in order to give the movie-making rights to the makers. The film’s director, Neeraj Pandey, could explore the minute details of MS Dhoni’s life due to the freedom he got after the producers paid such a hefty amount to the cricketer.
The biographical drama, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story will forever remain one of the best films ever made in Indian cinema. Do you think the same? Let us know.
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