"The biopic will chronicle Anand’s journey right from his childhood"
Bollywood filmmaker Aanand L Rai is set to direct a biopic on Indian chess grandmaster Viswanathan Anand.
The yet-untitled biopic will be co-produced by Rai’s Colour Yellow Productions and Mahaveer Jain’s Sundial Entertainment.
From being India’s first Grandmaster to World Champion, it is reported that the film will trace the life and journey of Anand.
The biopic will be filmed in 2021, with a report in Bombay Times reporting:
“Viswanathan Anand had, in the past, received numerous offers for a biopic to be made on him, but he had refused.
“This time, things just fell in place and Anand has given his nod.
“The biopic will chronicle Anand’s journey right from his childhood to becoming India’s first-ever Grandmaster.
“And winning the world titles and all his major milestones in a career that has spanned well over three decades.”
The 51-year-old five-time world chess champion is considered as the greatest chess player India has produced till date.
He won the world chess championship for India in 2000, 2007, 2008, 2010, and 2012.
Anand was a child prodigy when it came to chess, having ascended to the title of Indian National Sub-Junior Championship at 14.
At age 15 he became the youngest Indian to earn the International Master title.
The following year, he won the first of three consecutive national championships.
At age 17, Anand became the first Asian to win a world chess title when he won the 1987 FIDE World Junior Championship
Anand followed up that victory by earning the International Grandmaster title in 1988.
Throughout the 1990’s India’s champion vied with Kasparov and Vladimir Kramnik for position at the top of FIDE’s official chess rating list.
He succeeded with his world championship win in 2000.
Now filmmaker Aanand L Rai has taken on the task of telling his inspiring story cinematically.
The project has not been titled yet and it is not clear who will play the part of the chess legend.
Noted trade analyst Taran Adarsh broke the news of the upcoming biopic on Twitter.
He wrote: “BIOPIC ON VISWANATHAN ANAND… A biopic on #Indian chess grandmaster #ViswanathanAnand has been planned…
“The biopic – not titled yet – will be directed by Aanand L Rai…
“Produced by Sundial Entertainment [Mahaveer Jain] and Colour Yellow Productions [Aanand L Rai].”
BIOPIC ON VISWANATHAN ANAND… A biopic on #Indian chess grandmaster #ViswanathanAnand has been planned… The biopic – not titled yet – will be directed by Aanand L Rai… Produced by Sundial Entertainment [Mahaveer Jain] and Colour Yellow Productions [Aanand L Rai]. pic.twitter.com/fNBtdza2Dq
— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) December 13, 2020
Filmmaker Rai last helmed Shah Rukh Khan’s Zero (2018).
The space odyssey revolving around a dwarf man didn’t work for various reasons.
However, the filmmaker has also directed hit films such as Tanu weds Manu (2011) and Raanjhanaa (2013), making Bollywood believe he can make chess enjoyable.
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