Documentary on Yuvraj Singh to be produced by a US firm

A documentary on 2011 Cricket World Cup hero Yuvraj Singh’s life will be made by a US-based firm. The documentary, to be produced by Los Angeles based Apex Entertainment will trace Yuvraj’s cricketing career besides his battle with cancer as reported by the Times of India.

Apex Entertainment has a long list of producing premier sports-based movies like The Rookie (2002), Miracle (2004), Invincible (2006), Secretariat (2010), Big Shot (2012), Gigante (2013), Million Dollar Arm (2014). These movies not only received critical acclaim but went on to become top grossers at the box office as well.

Mark Ciardi, president and co-founder of Apex Entertainment, confirmed that his firm had bagged the rights to Yuvraj’s film.

“I have always believed in our company’s philosophy of bringing aspirational stories from the world to you characters who overcome adversity, stories that inspire minds. Yuvraj’s story is not just a cricket story, it’s a human interest story. People like to watch greatness. He is an inspiration to a billion Indians and cricket fans globally, the way he faced odds in his life and career, the way he survived cancer and the way he fought back to earn his place in the Indian team. His story is worth telling and that’s why we are extremely thrilled to have got this chance,” Ciardi was quoted by TOI from Los Angeles.

Ciardi feels the rise in popularity of Twenty20 cricket also prompted his firm to make the move. “The USA has a sizeable Indian population who follow cricket. A superstar like Yuvraj Singh is widely followed especially after he came to the US for cancer treatment. It was one of our common friends Ash Vasudevan (Apex co-founder) who helped us connect with Yuvraj last year where he told us that he quite liked Invincible and Miracle which were produced by us and he would like a film made on his life as well. I am happy that he gave us the rights and we would do our best to not disappoint him,” Ciardi added.

To lend realism to the documentary, the Apex team will shoot widely in India besides laying their hands on archival footage available on Yuvraj sporting career. It is also learnt that Yuvraj’s father Yograj Singh, who recently acted in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag and Singh is Bliing, and mother Shabnam will have a role in the non-fiction film, which is likely to be released next year.