‘Playing Me Was His Dream Role’: Lalit Modi Reveals Ranveer Singh Wanted To Star In His Biopic

In an ANI interview, former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi made several startling revelations. He claimed that Dawood Ibrahim's gang pressured him to hand over an IPL franchise to the underworld and that the threat ultimately forced him to leave India permanently.

Lalit Modi, the man behind the Indian Premier League, recently announced that a biopic based on his life is currently in development. Speaking to ANI, he revealed that Ranveer Singh went to extraordinary lengths to secure the lead role, even travelling to London to meet him. Modi also claimed that he had to leave the country due to threats from criminal gangs.

Modi was certain about who should portray him on screen: Ranveer Singh. Interestingly, it was Ranveer who initiated contact. Although Modi knew Deepika Padukone, he had never met Ranveer before. One day, he received a call informing him that the actor wanted to meet him in London. Ranveer reportedly flew there at his own expense.

"He said playing me would be his ultimate dream role, something that didn't occur to him even if I had asked," Modi said in the interview.

The two reportedly spent hours discussing various aspects of Modi's life during their meeting in London around two years ago.

Modi confirmed that the biopic is currently being developed, saying, "It's in the scripting phase." To assist with the project, he has been reviewing his archive of recorded interviews. Sneha Rajani, former head of Sony Entertainment Television, is leading the creative team and writing the script.

This is not the first attempt to bring Modi's story to the screen. In 2011, the Percept Picture Company planned a biopic titled The Commissioner, but the project never materialised. What makes the current effort different is Modi's direct involvement in shaping the film.

Beyond discussing the biopic, Modi made another major claim. He recounted an incident that he says convinced him to leave India for good. According to Modi, he received a call from a friend at around 3:30 a.m. One night. After meeting him, they used a satellite phone to make a call from a rooftop.

Modi alleged that Dawood Ibrahim was on the other end of the line and demanded that he arrange an IPL franchise for his criminal network. When Modi explained that he was no longer in India, Ibrahim allegedly responded by saying that any problem could be resolved immediately, a remark Modi interpreted as a death threat.

"I've kept this story under wraps until now," Modi stated.

However, these allegations have not been independently verified. Ibrahim has not publicly responded to the claims.

Lalit Modi served as BCCI Vice-President from 2005 to 2010 and was the architect of the Indian Premier League, which went on to become one of cricket's most lucrative tournaments. He also headed the Rajasthan Cricket Association and served as Vice-President of the Punjab Cricket Association.

However, his career later became mired in controversy and financial irregularity allegations, leading to his departure from India. Following his exit, the BCCI imposed a lifetime ban on him from cricket administration. Since then, Modi has remained based in London and has not returned to India.

The controversy surrounding him has continued for more than a decade, making any discussion about his role in Indian cricket highly sensitive and divisive.

Recently, Modi spoke about his past once again in interviews, including one with Humans of Bombay. During that conversation, he claimed that certain controversies, such as the widely discussed incident involving a player and a cheerleader, were deliberately amplified to boost television ratings.

Whether these fresh revelations are connected to the upcoming biopic or simply Modi's desire to revisit his side of the story remains unclear. However, the timing appears significant.

As of now, no production banner, release timeline, or confirmed cast has been officially announced. Since the project remains in its early stages, many details are still under wraps. Whether Ranveer Singh ultimately plays the lead role also remains uncertain.