Shraddha Kapoor was replaced in this film; movie faced several delays, bombed at box office, didn't earn even Rs 2 crore

Saina is based on the life of the badminton player Saina Nehwal, who has won several championships for India and has also won the bronze medal for the nation at the 2012 London Olympics. While Parineeti Chopra essayed the Indian shuttler, the film also starred Manav Kaul, Eshan Naqvi, Meghna Malik, Shubhrajyoti Barat, and Ankur Vikal in supporting roles.

The biopic Saina was announed in 2017 with Shraddha Kapoor in the titular role. She even began learning badminton, until she got dengue and had to move out of the project. Ahead of the film's release, director Amol Gupte told Bollywood Hungama, "Shraddha was in full preparation, which is why we started shooting. She practiced hard to become Saina, and was doing good work. But she got dengue, and became frail after spending a month in bed. She kept asking me if she could try and return, and we kept pushing. But one day, she admitted that she was feeling too weak. It wasn’t about shooting emotional scenes. It was about playing badminton for 12 hours. And you need strength for that."

Bhushan Kumar, the producer and T-Series head honcho, wanted Shraddha Kapoor to pair up with Varun Dhawan in the 2020 dance film Street Dancer 3D and replaced her with Parineeti Chopra in Saina. Amol Gupta told the same portal, "Bhushan Kumar, my producer told me his other film Street Dancer 3D is facing a crisis, and he needs a heroine. It’s a bigger film with more budget. So I agreed to let Shraddha take that up."

"Bhushan then brought Parineeti in for me for Saina. It was all happy happy. Parineeti happy, Shraddha happy, Bhushan Kumar happy, and I am also very happy. At least the film wasn’t shut down. It just took five years to arrive", the filmmaker shared how Parineeti Chopra replaced Shraddha Kapoor in the sports biopic and how the film faced several years.

Initially slated to release in September 2020, Saina was postponed and finally released in the theatres on March 26, 2021, amidst the Covid-19 pandemic. As per the entertainment tracking portal Sacnilk, Saina was made on a budget of Rs 25 crore, but could only earn Rs 1.1 crore net in India and grossed Rs 1.5 crore worldwide. It bombed at the box office.

Amol Gupte, who began his preparations for Saina in 2016, hasn't made a film or a series since Saina's box office debacle. He had previously directed Stanley Ka Dabba, Hawaa Hawaai, and Sniff. Gupte has most famously worked as a creative director and writer for Aamir Khan and Darsheel Safary-starrer Taare Zameen Par. He has also played pivotal roles in films like Singham Returns, Kaminey, and Phas Gaye Re Obama.