Deepika Padukone confirms biopic on father Prakash Padukone in the works

Bollywood star Deepika Padukone, who is riding high on the success of her latest release Gehraiyaan (2022), has said that she is working on a film based on the life of her father, badminton champion Prakash Padukone.

The actress, who has herself played badminton competitively before joining films, was in conversation with Cyrus Broacha on his YouTube channel where she spoke about the various challenges her father faced when he was training for badminton in his youth and how he was one of the first sportspersons to put India on the global map.

“I am working on it,” she said.

Padukone, who co-produced Kabir Khan’s sports drama 83 (2021) starring her husband, actor Ranveer Singh as Kapil Dev, went on to add that even before the Indian cricket team won the World Cup in 1983, Prakash was already a champion in his sport.

“Actually, even before 83 happened, he was one of the first Indian athletes to put India on the global map as far as Indian sport is concerned. He won the World Championship in 1981, which was obviously before 1983,” she said.

Talking about his struggles in the early days, she said, “He trained in a marriage hall, that was his badminton court. He used things like the beams that go across to make his shot more precise. He actually used his disadvantages to his advantage. If he had the facilities that athletes in India have today, then he’d be far more superior.”

In the year 2018, when The Badminton Association of India (BAI) conferred its inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award to Prakash, he had said at the event: “I played at a time when there were not many facilities. I played without the lure of returns, money, rewards, or to even please my parents. I played for my own satisfaction and to see how much I can challenge myself.”

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