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.”