Could not understand Dhoni's attitude towards life: Sushant Singh Rajput

Actor Sushant Singh Rajput, who will play the title role in Neeraj Pandey's upcoming biopic M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, says the filmmaker had not seen any of his previously films and selected him for the role after a general 20-minute conversation.

"Neeraj sir called me for this film. Before M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, he had never seen any of my films. We had a general 20-minute conversation after which he said, 'Okay, you are selected.' Even I didn't take a chance to ask him why he was taking me," Rajput said here on Tuesday during a chat with actor Gaurav Kapur.

Rajput admitted that one thing that he couldn't understand about Mahendra Singh Dhoni was his attitude towards life.

"I have been Dhoni's fan for the last 12 years and I am following him everywhere. Just there was one thing which I couldn't understand — his way of thinking and why he is the way he is? I asked him a lot of questions that even made him angry," he said.

Dhoni, who was also present during the event, said he would not like to relive the shooting days of the film because Rajput asked him a lot of questions.

"Sushant has done very well. He has totally imitated the way I talk and I walk. I don't think I carry that grace with me, but he has copied everything. He practiced cricket for almost nine months for two-three hours every day. Now he can even participate in a cricket tournament.

"But he asked a lot of questions to me. I really don't wish to relive those days again," Dhoni said.

He even quipped that he would prefer former Australian leg spinner Shane Warne's googly over Rajput's questions because "it's my profession and I can handle that easily".

Dhoni, who is often called 'Mahi' by his fans, said he has found another nickname through this film — 'Subject'.

"Wherever I go with them for promotions, they introduce me saying that the subject of the film is here. So I have found a new nickname," he said.

M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story is slated to release on 30 September.