Actor Janhvi Kapoor on Wednesday said her upcoming sports drama Mr. & Mrs. Mahi is a hat tip to cricket legend Mahendra Singh Dhoni, whose statement from a press event served as an inspiration for the film. Directed by Sharan Sharma of Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl fame, the movie features Kapoor and Rajkumar Rao as the titular couple— Mahendra, a former cricketer, and Mahima, who is a doctor.
After Mahendra spots the cricketing talent in his wife, he encourages her to chase her dream and becomes her coach. "He (Dhoni) gave an interview where he said, 'It's not about the result but about the process. If you do your process with honesty and hard work, the result will be seen at the end and even if you fail, it doesn't matter.' This film is made on that line by Mahendra Singh Dhoni. I hope we honour his philosophy,” Janhvi told reporters at the launch event of the film's song Dekha Tenu.
Rao, who earlier collaborated with Kapoor for the 2021 horror comedy Roohi, said he believes there is a lot to learn from Dhoni. "True sportsman spirit is visible in him a lot. He is humble and grounded, kind-hearted, it shows in his aura. He is such a big legend and the way he conducts himself, there is a lot to learn from him,” the actor said, adding that the team wants to show the film to the cricketer and his wife, Sakshi.
For Kapoor, learning cricket for Mr. & Mrs. Mahi turned out to be a herculean task as she suffered a lot of injuries during the process. "A lot of hard work has gone into it. I trained for almost two years. I started training while promoting Mili. Our director is a purist and works with a lot of honesty, so he wanted me to become a cricketer for the film. He didn't want to use VFX or do anything halfheartedly.
"I suffered a lot of injuries as well while prepping, both my shoulders were dislocated, but I'd like to give all the credit to him, the director, and both my coaches Abhishek Nayar and Vikrant sir who have done a lot of hard work and held my hand at every turn,” she said. Sharma, who collaborated with Kapoor for his debut film Gunjan Saxena, praised Kapoor for her dedication and pushing the envelope with the sports drama.
"I think I pushed her very hard to achieve the cricket level we needed for this film. There is no cringe shot in the film which could give me a sleepless night. We pushed her very hard and she endured the torture. The cricket fan in me is thrilled with what she has done in the film," he added.
On collaborating with Rao for the first time, the filmmaker said he is a 'lethal actor'. “He has the hunger of a first-timer and the skills of a legend which is a rare combination. I am only blessed that I got to work with Raj on my second film. It's fair to say he is one of the greatest actors of all time in India," he said.
The song Dekha Tenu is derived from a stanza from the hit song Shava Shava from Karan Johar's Kabhi Khushi Kabhi Gham. The track is composed by Jaani and sung by music reality show winner Mohammad Faiz. Produced by Zee Studios and Dharma Productions, Mr. & Mrs. Mahi is scheduled for release in theatres on May 31.
Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from PTI
Read: Mr & Mrs Mahi trailer: Failed cricketer Rajkummar Rao coaches Janhvi Kapoor to play for Team India, MSD fans approve
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