Saina Nehwal's Real And Reel Dads Share Views On The Biopic

Saina Nehwal father on the biopic: First-ever badminton player from India to clinch an Olympic medal, badminton champion Saina Nehwal’s journey has intrigued and fascinated the nation. Right from the time she bagged the bronze at London 2012 Games, Nehwal has been consistently raising the bar in terms of her performance and medals. Now a biopic, Saina, starring actor Parineeti Chopra promises to capture this journey on-screen. But what does  Nehwal's father feel about the film?

Saina Nehwal, a legacy made for silver-screen:

• In her 12-year-long badminton career, Nehwal has won over 24 international titles, eleven of which are Superseries titles.
• She is also the only Indian to have won at least one medal in every Badminton World Federation major - the World Championships, the World Junior Championships - and that precious bronze medal at the Olympics.

Saina deserves a biopic, says her father

The trailer of the film showcases how Nehwal's parents played a huge role in her career, always encouraging their daughter to dream big.

Speaking about his daughter's struggle, Nehwal's father Harvir Singh Nehwal said, “We hail from Haryana and when Saina was nine years old in 1998, we never thought she would even become an athlete. We settled down in a house at Rajendra Nagar and she had finished Class IV and as she could not get an admission that year, she was at home and learned judo and karate to keep herself engaged along with a group of some underprivileged children."

Saina Nehwal with her father Pic: HT

"We realised Saina was getting flexible. One day, I happened to visit LB Stadium and that’s where I met badminton coaches Nani Prasad and Arif and they said they would train Saina. That’s how her journey began and her climb has been steady. Incidentally, the last three years have been her peak in her career. From Asian Games to Olympics, Commonwealth and National Championship, she managed to win all the tournaments," he added. Read about Saina Nehwal and her mom here.

Speaking on a biopic being made on his daughter's achievements, he said, "Saina has been Commonwealth Gold Medallist which no other player has achieved so far. So the movie seems apt for an athlete who has given so much to the country. Saina deserves a biopic and I am glad she is getting one."

Subhrajyoti Barat plays Saina's dad on-screen

Meanwhile, actor Subhrajyoti Barat, who is essaying the role of Nehwal's father in her biopic, recounted that Nehwal's parents had visited the set and he had the opportunity to meet them. "We met them in person, we interacted with them, we asked them questions and we observed them. It was a great experience to talk to them."

The actor said that he found it very intriguing and inspiring as to how, as young parents when you have a child of five, do you make the decision of putting them into a sport and then supporting that child through and through. "They were themselves badminton players and they had played state-level badminton I think... they did not continue that. Their daughter turned out to be exceptionally good and they made all kinds of sacrifices to make their child's dream happen," he said about the struggles faced by Nehwal's parents.