Virat Kohli overnight became the country’s darling, the new national icon, and arguably the best finisher of team India. Until Sunday night, this position was sacrosanct and reserved for MS Dhoni, seen as the right contender for the title.
So, if we have (almost) equal greats on the team, and one has a biopic coming out soon, who wouldn’t want to see the story behind Kohli, his journey and his making?
No, there is no movie coming out (yet), and no there is no chatter among production houses, but Kohli has given us 82 reasons to fantasize. So who can best play the ever angry, ever ready, ever dynamic Virat Kohli on screen? Here is our pick.
Ram Charan Teja: Disclaimer – his first Bollywood outing, Zanjeer (2013), tanked at the box office. But he can sport the stony expression that Virat does so well, and has the beard to match him too. Ram Charan also has the physique; he’s tall and lanky, much like Virat.
Allu Arjun: This is another southern actor who seems promising. Allu Arjun may be known for his dancing moves, but the lithe physicality would be handy for him to replicate Virat on screen. Also, given his skill in action sequences, we wouldn’t mind one or two fictional action scenes in the film. Truth be told, if Virat were in a movie, we think it should totally be an action film (think Jason Bourne). Chiseled face, frosty expression, quick moves – an absolute winner.
Rajkummar Rao: Now, the earlier two fit the role better for the physical resemblance. But when it comes to bringing out a more sensitive side to Virat, we’re thinking Rajkummar Rao. For all his champion cricketing skills, Virat is equally popular with the ladies, and Rajkummar can just as well give you the bees knees (remember Queen?). At the same time, his persona as a thinking actor would be great to work with to show Virat under pressure on the field.