Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan is making his Bollywood debut with Huma Qureshi and Sonakshi Sinha's upcoming film 'Double XL' In a new still, the cricketer is seen in a black suit and his trademark haircut, dancing with Huma, who is in a red gown.
Shikhar previously said the story of the film made a deep impact on him and he said agreed to do the project. “As an athlete playing for the nation, life is always very hectic. One of my favourite pastimes is to watch good entertaining films. When this opportunity came to me and I heard the story, it made a deep impact on me. This is a lovely message for the whole society and I hope a lot of young girls and boys will keep pursuing their dreams no matter what,” he says according to Pinkvilla.
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In India, cricket and films have great admirers across the country, and time and again, we saw how cricketers begin their second innings with the silver screen. Let’s take a look at cricketers who tried their hands at acting.
Irfan Pathan
Irfan Pathan made his Tamil acting debut with Ajay Gnanamuthu’s film ‘Vikram’. The untitled film featured the Indian all-rounder as a character with Turkish origin.
Harbhajan Singh
The ace spinner was recently roped in to play a significant role in Karthik Yogi’s Dikkilona, which stars Santhanam in the lead. Harbhajan’s association with Chennai Super Kings, along with his love for Tamil culture, was what made him the apt choice for the film, the director revealed in a recent interview with Times of India.
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Sreesanth
The Indian pacer made his movie debut in the Bollywood film Big Picture (2015) and was also seen in the film Cabaret, which hits theatres in June, 2016
Kapil Dev
Kapil Dev has made special appearances in films including Gaurav Pandey’s Stumped and David Dhawan’s Mujhse Shaadi Karogi. But his most prominent cameo was in Nagesh Kukunoor’s Iqbal, starring Shreyas Talpade. “The Indian team needs bowlers like you,” Kapil Dev tells an awe-struck Iqbal in the film’s climax.
Dwayne Bravo
West Indies player Dwayne Bravo got to depict another side of him in Tamil film Chithiram Pesudhadi 2, in which he set the dance floor on fire.
Sachin Tendulkar
The Master Blaster of cricket, Sachin Tendulkar was prominently featured in his biographical documentary Sachin: A Billion Dreams, directed by James Erskine.
Anil Kumble
The ace bowler played himself in Meerabai Not Out, starring Mandira Bedi, Mahesh Manjrekar and Anupam Kher. The cricketer plays a hiccup-riddled version of himself in the film, in a special appearance.
Yuvraj Singh
The former Indian all-rounder made a cameo in the 1992 Punjabi film Mehndi Shagna Di. A young Yuvraj is seen sporting a school uniform in the film.
