Following the success of Maalik, Rajkummar Rao is all set to begin his cricket training for the Sourav Ganguly biopic in October. For the role, the actor says he will have to unlearn his Mr & Mrs Mahi batting skills to portray the former skipper
Rajkummar Rao and Sourav Ganguly
Getting Sourav Ganguly’s stamp of approval even before he has stepped into his shoes must be a huge boost of confidence for Rajkummar Rao. In June, the former cricketer, counted among India’s most successful skippers, called Rao “the right person” to portray him in his in-the-works biopic that will be helmed by Vikramaditya Motwane. He had added, “I don’t think anyone else can play me better than him.” Armed with this tall praise, the actor is set to begin training for the Ganguly biopic by October.
Ganguly’s words have brought relief as well as a sense of responsibility to Rao, who says, “I am relieved to hear that Dada [Ganguly] thinks I can portray him correctly on screen. It’s an extremely challenging role and a big responsibility. I’m nervous, but I will do my best not to let him down.”
The yet-untitled biopic was originally scheduled to roll by the end of July. However, Motwane and Rao will now take it on the floors only in January 2026. Reason? The filmmaker wants the script, currently in development, to be perfected down to the last detail — one that does justice to the sportsperson’s storied career. The leading man explains, “Everybody is taking a lot of care in recreating Dada’s life for a theatrical experience. We have pushed the shooting to next year as we needed some time for the prep. It’s a big responsibility to play one of our most iconic heroes in cricket.”
This won’t be the first time Rao will hit the pitch for a movie. The actor played a failed cricketer-turned-coach in Mr & Mrs Mahi (2024). For the role, he had undergone cricket training and spent time with professional cricketers. Tell him that will come in handy, and Rao disagrees, pointing out, “While I know how to play cricket, being a left-handed batter is a different ball game altogether. The muscle memory is all about being a right-handed batter. So, I need some time to practise. I have deliberately not met Dada yet. I want to meet him when we fully get into prep mode.”
While the biopic is slated for a December 2026 release, this year looks equally exciting for Rao, who is ready with his first production, Toaster, along with actor and his wife Patralekhaa. His mantra behind the banner is simple. “We want to produce stories that are unique in nature, [and don’t follow] the herd mentality.”
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Runs that Sourav Ganguly scored across all formats in his international career
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