Filmmaker Aanand L Rai says his upcoming biopic on five-time world chess grandmaster Vishwanathan Anand will trace the sports icon's personal journey. Rai said he is excited to bring the life story of Anand on the big screen but the project will need time. "It is an ambitious film. We are working on it (script). It is such an important thing, it will take time," Rai told PTI.
The Atrangi Re director further said, "It is about the man, not about the sport. It is not about the champion but the man inside that champion and that is what we will try to do (with the film)." The biopic will be co-produced by Rai's company Colour Yellow Productions and Mahaveer Jain's Sundial Entertainment.
The director is currently busy promoting his romantic-drama Atrangi Re, starring Sara Ali Khan, Dhanush and Akshay Kumar. Atrangi Re, which is scheduled to release on December 24 on Disney+ Hotstar, marks Rai's return to direction two years after Zero, which starred Shah Rukh Khan, Anushka Sharma and Katrina Kaif. Rai also has a slew of projects in various stages of development.
"I want to explore all genres which, otherwise, I won't direct. I am very grateful that we have made films like Tumbbad, Newton and Shubh Mangal Saavdhan. I have enjoyed and grown as a maker. The process is simply to be adventurous and gutsy," he said. Rai is also excited about teaming up with Kumar, 54, on two more films - Raksha Bandhan and Gorkha.