Sangram Singh On Being Roped In For Olympian Wrestler KD Jadhav Biopic: Khashaba Se Bada Khiladi Koi Nahi | EXCLUSIVE

Sangram

Singh wears multiple hats. He is an Indian professional wrestler, but also an actor and a reality show personality. The Commonwealth gold medallist rose to fame after his stint in superstar Salman Khan's Bigg Boss. Now, he is set to star in Khashaba, the biopic of Olympian wrestler Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav, who was posthumously awarded the Padma Vibhushan. While details are being kept under wraps, Sangram will be seen in an important role. Helmed by Nagraj Manjule of Sairat fame, the film also features veteran actors Mahesh Manjrekar, Sachin Pilgaonkar and Nana Patekar in key roles.

Sangram Singh On Being Roped In For Khashaba

Just like Raja Shivaji, the movie is being made in Marathi but will also be released in multiple languages. In an exclusive chat with Zoom, Sangram spoke about his experience working on the project. He admitted struggling with the language and said that had it been made in Hindi, he would have had a better opportunity to refine it further. But he's quick to add, "It is a wrestling film, and I play a very important role in it. My belief is that I don't do negative roles. Whether it’s for one minute or one hour, it should have an impact; it should be meaningful."While he didn’t reveal further details about the film’s cast, he confirmed that the project stars noted Marathi actors.

Sangram Singh Talks About KD Jadhav

For Sangram, Khashaba is extra special. "KD Jadhav has always been my idol in sports. There has probably been no greater athlete than him. He was the first to win an individual medal for the country, and that too at a time when there were hardly any facilities."

Long before this project was in the pipeline, Singh was working on a biopic on KD Jadhav himself. Acclaimed filmmaker Shyam Benegal was supposed to direct the film, which was being made in Hindi. Award-winning set designer Nitin Desai had also come on board. However, the film didn’t pan out. It was stalled even before production due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other reasons.Sangram got candid about how hard he worked during those three years while prepping for the film. It was during this time that he understood what cinema is. "I set everything else aside and decided this is what I wanted to do. Over time, my respect for it kept growing day by day. Their story is very inspiring. Anyone else might have felt disappointed or disheartened, but I felt that I had learned from such great legends, so it was fine," shared the reality show personality.He also revealed that he was supposed to do a film with Mahesh Bhatt, but it did not happen. He added that he was offered films with superstars, but they were also negative roles. He said he could have done those projects, but he did not feel comfortable playing such characters. He mentioned that his decision once left an A-list star a bit upset, but he still declined the project.Sangram wants to work for legacy. He said that when this opportunity came along, he was sure he wanted to be a part of it. He added that it does not matter whether one appears on screen for 1 minute or 10 minutes, it is all about impact.The makers are yet to announce the release date of Khashaba.