'Dhoni wanted to drop three big players from team'

Director Neeraj Pandey says it was a mutual decision between him and the cricketer as they felt revealing the names would do more damage than good

New Delhi - 'MS Dhoni: The Untold Story' is releasing on September 30

By IANS

Published: Mon 26 Sep 2016, 1:31 PM

Last updated: Mon 26 Sep 2016, 3:42 PM

The audience won't get to know the names of three cricketers whom MS Dhoni wanted to oust from the Indian cricket team at one point, as the makers of 'MS Dhoni: The Untold Story' have decided to do away with their mention from the movie.
Director Neeraj Pandey says it was a mutual decision between him and the cricketer as they felt revealing the names would do more damage than good.
In the trailer of the movie, actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who essays Dhoni in the movie, is seen saying: "These three don't fit in the ODI team anymore."
In response, one of the selectors says, "Dhoni wants to oust a person who promoted him." And another says, "He won't stop at these three." At that, Sushant says, "We are all servants, and we are all doing national duty".

How adorable is this baby.. cuteness personified. #ziva pic.twitter.com/S0BeNPiQGL
- Sushant Singh Rajput (@itsSSR) September 25, 2016

While this scene will still be a part of the movie, Pandey said they have decided to edit out the names of the three cricketers.
"The scene is there in the film, it's just that we have decided not to take the three names that are taken during the course of the particular meeting. We have decided not to go with it considering that it will be perceived in a different taste, and also keeping in mind that there's considerable amount of respect for the three cricketers," Pandey said.
Originally, they had shot the scene with the names - even though Dhoni didn't want to reveal them.
"Because the movie was made over two and a half years, we had decided that we will take a call whether we want to divulge the names or refrain from doing so, closer to the film's release," Pandey said.
Nevertheless, he says even without the names, the scene conveys that Dhoni was taking charge and wanted some changes in the team at one point of time and how he had requested the people concerned.
Is the decision of withdrawing the names because they smelt controversy?
"I smelt chance more than controversy. I quite agree that it would have been blown out of context and out of proportion, and do more damage than good. Plus, the fact remains that these are cricketers who have served the nation, and it could have been taken in the wrong way," Pandey clarified.
"MS Dhoni: The Untold Story" is releasing on September 30.