Director Abhijeet Deshpande explains why Vinod Kambli’s life is becoming a series, not a film, ‘So much material and drama’
The V. Shantaram biopic featuring Siddhant Chaturvedi and Tamannaah Bhatia has been delayed to 2027. Shooting is now set to begin in April next year, with production planning to complete the outdoor portions early and use the monsoon window for indoor shoots.
Deshpande moves on to ‘Kambli ‘ as his next project
While the V. Shantaram biopic sits on the back burner, Deshpande has lined up his next project, ‘Kambli’, a ZEE5 series tracing the life of former Indian cricketer Vinod Kambli, he told Bollywood Hungama. Ravi Bhagchandka’s 200NotOut Productions, the house behind the acclaimed Sachin Tendulkar documentary ‘Sachin: A Billion Dreams’, is producing the show. “I started writing Kambli in 2019. I began writing Kambli and V. Shantaram together. Ravi Bhagchandka, the producer, has been with me all throughout, and we are hoping to surprise people with our take on Kambli. It is a human story and not a sports film,” reveals the director.
Why Deshpande chose a series over a feature film
Deshpande had originally conceived the project as a Marathi feature film, but as he researched further into the former cricketer’s life, he realized a series was the only format that could truly do it justice. “When I studied his life, there was so much material and so much drama that it’s impossible to encapsulate all of that in one film. I think the series in Hindi will also help his story travel wider,” he explains.
Casting and shooting timeline still being worked out
Casting is yet to be locked, though the team is on the hunt for a new face who closely resembles ‘Kambli’, with an emphasis on portraying the cricketer’s life and personality with sensitivity and realism. While shoot dates aren’t finalized either, the makers are eyeing a November 2026 start and hope to wrap filming in a single continuous stretch of three to four months. Deshpande will then turn his attention back to V. Shantaram once this project is complete.
What ‘Kambli’ will explore
‘Kambli’ will follow the rollercoaster journey of Vinod Kambli, tracking his emergence as one of India’s most talented young batsmen through to the personal and professional hurdles that changed the trajectory of his career. Looking past the headlines, the series aims to capture a story defined by extraordinary potential, notable triumphs, and hard-fought personal battles.
