Sushant Singh Rajput's portrayal of former India cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the latter's biopic was one of his finest performances in a relatively short career in Bollywood. M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, which released in 2016, was a huge hit and crossed the Rs 200-crore mark at the box office.
There were reports a couple of years ago that a sequel to the biopic was being planned. It was supposed to start off from where the first film ended—India's 2011 ODI World Cup victory—and would have taken a closer look at Dhoni's personal life. The film, in which Sushant Singh Rajput was touted to reprise the role of Dhoni, was expected to go on floors last year and was reported to be produced by Ronnie Screwvala's RSVP Films.
While expressing shock at the 34-year-old actor's suicide on Sunday morning, Dhoni's friend and manager Arun Pandey said that whatever possibility there was of a sequel to the biopic, has been ruled out completely. “With him (Sushant) not being us, I don’t think it (sequel) is even a possibility. The news of him passing away is unbelievable.
Pandey recalled the unforgettable moments Dhoni and he spent with Sushant Singh Rajput when the actor constantly battled the “enormous pressure” of replicating the iconic cricketer’s magic on the big screen.
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“He (Sushant) was very concerned during the making of the movie about whether he would be able to live Dhoni’s life on the big screen. He was under a lot pressure before the movie release (in 2016),” Pandey told PTI.
“He use to say it often to me that ‘I hope I am able to deliver, else Mahi’s millions of fans will not forgive me ever’. But the hard worker that he was, I was sure that he would a fine job and he did,” Pandey said.
Rajput spent months with the cult cricketer to prep up for his role and Pandey said the actor’s penchant for detail helped him immensely in playing Dhoni in reel life.
“One day he was practising the helicopter shot and he suffered a strain. We thought he would take some rest and comeback after a while but he said 'there should not be delay because of me' and was back practising that shot in a week’s time,” recalled Pandey.
Such was his dedication that by the end of the movie shoot, Sushant became more than a decent cricketer, something Dhoni also acknowledged.
“He used to ask a lot of questions to Mahi, the little things that make the difference. The fact they both had a Bihar connection also helped them develop a bond.”
Pandey, who is yet to come to terms with Rajput’s shocking death, further added, “I never expected him (Sushant) to do something like this, he was so full of life. Before the lockdown, we had a gym session together and we were in regular touch.
“But this can happen with anyone and just shows that why it is very important to not lose your old self when you reach the top,” he said.