We'll live up to hype around 'MS Dhoni...': Neeraj Pandey

Neeraj Pandey plans to head out for a "long break" just two days before his latest 'baby', "MS Dhoni: The Untold Story", hits the screens on Friday. He says he is confident that the movie will live up to the hype created by its trailer and promotions.

What are his sentiments ahead of the release of the movie, which tells the story of successful Indian cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni?

"I am through with it in more ways than one. There's nothing much at all to say... The actors have done their job, I have done mine and now the film is being delivered. I am looking forward to a long break now. I am going on a break on September 28 because there's nothing much to do now in context to the film," Pandey told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

"I am thankful for the kind of anticipation that has built up following the trailer and promotions. I am glad all that has happened. We truly believe we will live up to it," he added.

With actor Sushant Singh Rajput stepping in the shoes of Dhoni, the film tells the inspirational story of how Indian cricket's poster boy was once a ticket collector at the Kharagpur railway station and chased his dreams with a rare passion.

"It's a story about resilience and tenacity... Also, the fact that what is success actually. If you're at peace with yourself, true success lies there. It's not just about achieving something," said Pandey, who has earlier helmed thrillers like "A Wednesday", "Special 26" and "Baby".

What made him digress from that space?

"I would use the word explore rather than digress. As storytellers, we all look forward to work on newer stories, newer content... So I found Dhoni's story very interesting to tell. It's a big story, very inspirational, moving and I felt it was the right kind of material after a film like 'Baby'," he said.

His next directorial will be "Crack".

"Work on 'Crack' starts in January. I will be involved in some productions till then. 'Crack' is a drama thriller on a true incident. But I will be more comfortable to talk about it closer to when we start shooting it," said Pandey, who will work with Akshay Kumar in the movie.

--IANS

rb/vt