Aanand L Rai to direct chess grandmaster Viswanathan Anand's biopic
Filmmaker Aanand L Rai is all set to co-produce and direct an upcoming biopic on Indian chess grandmaster Viswanathan Anand. The yet-untitled project will be produced by Rai's Colour Yellow Productions in collaboration with Mahaveer Jain's Sundial Entertainment. However, a formal announcement about it has not been made yet. Here are more details on this.
Further details about the movie have been kept under wraps. Meanwhile, Anand, a five-time world champion, marked his 51st birthday on December 11. "Thanks everyone for your wishes. Had a quiet day with my family. Of course it included a chocolate cake (made by Aruna and Akhil)," he tweeted on Friday.
Born on December 11, 1969, Viswanathan Anand became the first chess grandmaster from India in 1988. Anand was also the first recipient of the Rajiv Gandhi Khel Ratna Award, India's highest sports honor, in 1991-92. In 2007, he was awarded India's second-highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan, making him the first sportsperson to be honored with it.
Meanwhile, Rai is currently shooting Atrangi Re, a romantic-drama movie that stars Akshay Kumar, Dhanush, and Sara Ali Khan. After its filming was halted in March due to the coronavirus-induced nationwide lockdown, the movie went on floors again in October. It has been written by Himanshu Sharma and will feature music by AR Rahman.
In recent years, many movies on the lives of Indian sports personalities have been made. Some of the prominent names include cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni, boxer Mary Kom, and athlete Milkha Singh. Films on sports stars Saina Nehwal and Abhinav Bindra have also been announced.
