Sandeep Singh on ‘Soorma’: “I did not want the film to go to a big star”

Hockey legend Sandeep Singh’s biopic ‘Soorma’ is creating a lot of buzz with Diljit Dosanjh at the helm, and no one is happier with the star of the film than Singh himself.

“He is a real Singh, a Sardar. Usually, a Sikh is laughed upon. I did not want the film to go to a big star, be it Shah Rukh Khan, Akshay Kumar or Aamir Khan because they would not have suited the part. People would have made a joke about the film and their look. Not that they cannot play the part but they would not have been convincing as Sandeep Singh. So, I wanted that even if it is a beginner in Bollywood, he should be able to portray the role as real as possible.”, Singh shared with Indian Express, “Meanwhile, Diljit paaji debuted in ‘Udta Punjab’ (2016). We always had him in our mind but we also thought that people, apart from those living in Punjab, might not be well accustomed with the actor. He was not yet famous in Bollywood. So, we were prepping up the story. Meanwhile, Diljit had picked up his momentum in Bollywood and was becoming the rising star of the industry with songs, films coming back to back. Now, even he is a star”.

Dosanjh, who was initially struggling during preparation, was trained by Singh himself for the role. “Yes, I have trained Diljit during and off the film. He is a good actor and quite hardworking. There are not many actors in the film industry who have the ability to clone your body language. If I tell you to copy me, you would not be able to do that but Diljit did it really well. We spent a lot of time together and got to know each other. People have seen me on-field but no one knows about my off-field life. People rarely know that personality of me. We concentrated more on how he aces me in the field but off-field too, he would notice my habits, body language and in fact, even eating mannerisms.”

Overall, Singh is very happy with the way his story is shaping up. “Hockey pe particular film nahi aayi after ‘Chak De India’(2017) (There has not been any film about hockey post ‘Chak De India’). We cannot compare ‘Chak De India’ with ‘Soorma’. That film is more like team game but ‘Soorma’ is all about the struggle a person has gone through. It is about the victory after failure. It is about the dream to make it big in the world. I do not think you will leave the theater without taking away something from the film. This film will cater to everyone among the audience and would have a relatability factor too. It has a message of never giving up. It is about how a man comes back from death and wins pride for his country. So, that journey is not easy but with will power and confidence, you can do anything.”