Ramiz Raja is making a film about cricket and it will star Sanjay Dutt!
Some cricketers open clothing stores, some have other career detours in mind.
Pakistani cricket commentator and former batsman Ramiz Raja has revealed that he's making a film.
"Yes, I'm writing and co-producing a film," Raja confirmed to Images. The film, unsurprisingly, is about cricket!
It's apparent that Raja is pouring his decades of observations about the game into the film.
"The topic was very close to my heart," he elaborated. "I wanted it to reach the audience, be it in the form of a documentary or a film. You know, how cricket could heal and bond every tier of society, especially the downtrodden, little kids lost to terrorism... I've had this topic in my mind for ten years. I think [the sport] has strength, a type of special force, a neutral force that can be launched anywhere. Through cricket, through this great medium, we can serve society."
"Cricket has the muscles to heal wounds and that's what I want to show in the film," he concluded.
The film is titled Dorbaz and will star Sanjay Dutt in the lead role, Raja also revealed. How did he manage that coup, we wonder?
"Dorbaz is based on a thought that just wouldn't leave my mind and somehow the idea got accepted by a production [company] in India and things just went on from there," he shared.
"Sanjay is extremely excited about the script. He's got great star-power, he's got presence and I think the role suits him perfectly."
Brushing aside reports that he's eager to cast Mahira Khan or Katrina Kaif in the female lead, Raja said that women don't feature prominently in the film. "I think it's a male-dominated film. So casting female actors was not a priority, the priority for me was getting Sanjay Dutt on board."
Also read: #GirlsInGreen — Pakistan roots for women's cricket team
The script for Dorbaz is nearly complete, after which the film will go on floors in May.