One of the most anticipated projects cricket fans often dream about is a biopic on Virat Kohli — something that would capture the journey of one of India’s greatest sporting icons. But who could possibly bring such a story to life on screen? When asked about it during promotions for his upcoming film Nishaanchi, filmmaker Anurag Kashyap made it clear that he would not want to be the one behind Kohli’s cinematic story.
In a candid conversation with Filmygyan, Kashyap revealed: “I don’t know if I would want to because he’s already a hero to many people, to many children. If I have to do a biopic, I would choose a difficult subject, a person’s life.” While he admitted he wouldn’t take on the project, Kashyap had nothing but admiration for the cricketer. He said: “He is a very beautiful man. I know him personally, and he is a very authentic human being. He is very emotional; he is an incredible person.”
The filmmaker’s focus on Nishaanchi
Riding on the successes of Gangs of Wasseypur (2012), Ugly (2013), and Raman Raghav 2.0 (2016), Kashyap is now gearing up for Nishaanchi, an intense drama set in Uttar Pradesh in the early 2000s. The film marks the acting debut of Aaishvary Thackeray, who takes on a challenging double role as brothers Babloo and Dabloo, characters whose opposing ideologies drive the story forward.
The film hopes to carry shades of Kashyap’s cult classic Gangs of Wasseypur, but with a twist. The filmmaker explained that the project was conceived partly to move away from persistent questions about a possible GoW 3, saying, “This film is Crime and Punishment. I wouldn’t call it an adaptation or interpretation, but influenced by it. I have always believed crime has consequences. I have never tried to glorify crime. My approach has been different in different films, and there is always a consequence. Nobody gets away scot-free in my films.”
