MUMBAI — Siddhant Chaturvedi renewed his long-held ambition to portray Indian cricket star Yuvraj Singh in a biopic during a recent interview.

The 32-year-old actor, known for his breakout role in the 2019 film Gully Boy, first voiced the idea five years ago. “I’ve been saying it since 2019, and I’ll say it again today — I’m manifesting that one day I get the opportunity to do a biopic on the famous cricketer Yuvraj Singh,” Chaturvedi said.

Chaturvedi’s interest traces back to his early career. He debuted on screen in the 2017 Amazon Prime Video series Inside Edge, playing a young cricketer handling match-fixing and corruption in professional Indian cricket. That role planted the seed for his fascination with the sport’s real-life dramas.

Yuvraj Singh’s story captivates him, Chaturvedi explained. The cricketer rose to fame with India’s 2007 T20 World Cup victory, where he famously hit six sixes in an over against England. He became a hero again in 2011, helping India win the Cricket World Cup while battling a rare germ cell cancer diagnosed in 2011. Singh underwent chemotherapy in the United States and returned to international cricket in 2012.

“His journey is truly incredible — a rollercoaster,” Chaturvedi said. “I not only admire him as a cricketer, but he’s also a wonderful personality. I salute his cricket, his lifestyle and his courage to overcome challenges. He’s truly an icon, and the world should know his story.”

Chaturvedi’s passion extends beyond the field. He praised Singh’s resilience after cancer treatment, which forced the all-rounder to retire from international cricket in 2019. Singh has since coached young players and commentated on matches.

The actor spoke out as he promotes his upcoming romantic drama Do Deewane Sheher Mein, co-starring Aditya Roy Kapur and Inayat Verma. Directed by Shashank Khaitan, the film marks a shift from Chaturvedi’s recent action roles.

His next confirmed project is a biopic on pioneering Indian filmmaker V. Shantaram, whose 1920s-to-1970s career produced classics like Do Aankhen Barah Haath. Fans praised Chaturvedi’s first-look poster, released last month, for capturing the director’s intensity.

Chaturvedi broke into Bollywood with Gully Boy, earning a Filmfare Award for Best Supporting Actor as rapper MC Sher. He followed with Bunty Aur Babli 2 and Gehraiyaan. His cricket connection persists; he often shares training videos on Instagram, honing skills for potential sports roles.

No producer has yet attached Chaturvedi’s name to a Yuvraj Singh project. Singh himself starred in a 2021 docu-series, Yuvraj Singh: The Comeback Man, detailing his health battle. Biopic talks have swirled in Bollywood since, with names like Vicky Kaushal once rumored.

Chaturvedi remains undeterred. He keeps the dream alive amid a packed schedule that includes a yet-untitled supernatural thriller with Tamannaah Bhatia.

His persistence mirrors Singh’s own grit. As Chaturvedi told interviewers, some stories demand to be told — and he’s ready to swing for it.