Mahendra Singh Dhoni's popularity among Tamils is set to reflect on the box office collection when the cricketer's biopic MS Dhoni: The Untold Story is released in a massive 230 screens in Tamil Nadu on Friday, September 30. Trade experts reckon that the movie will register a record opening in the state.
While the Tamil version is releasing in 205 screens, the Hindi version of the flick is seeing the light of the day in 25 screens to take its total screen count to 230, which is a huge number for a film without an A-list star of Bollywood. Till now, only the movies of big names like Shah Rukh Khan, Salman Khan, Aamir Khan and Hrithik Roshan were having a wide release in the state.
Dhoni had led Indian Premier League team Chennai Super Kings, which is under suspension following the Supreme Court's order for the alleged involvement of their owners in the 2013 IPL betting case. His association helped him garner huge fan following in every nook and corner of Tamil Nadu.
Moreover, Dhoni was in Chennai last week to promote the film, which is written and directed by Neeraj Pandey. He also met Rajinikanth which has helped the film to draw the Tamil cine-goers' attention.
The trade reports say that the movie is likely to register a fantastic opening in Tamil Nadu. The advance booking in Chennai and Coimbatore has met with stupendous response. As no big Kollywood film is releasing this weekend, the cricketer's biopic is expected to perform well at the Tamil Nadu box office.
Coming to the film, MS Dhoni: The Untold Story narrates the journey of a small-time boy, who transforms into India's most successful cricket team captain in all the formats. The film throws light at the inherent struggles of the cricketer and how he overcomes all the hurdles.
The film stars Sushant Singh Rajput in the title role and Anupam Kher will be seen as Dhoni's father in the flick.
