It"s
final.
The
handsome
much-in-the-news
celeb-boxer
Vijender
Singh,
who
brought
home
an
Olympics
medal
for
us,
is
all
set
to
make
his
acting
debut.
After
many
false
and
misleading
reports
of
his
debut
as
a
leading
man,
Vijender"s
bona
fide
acting
launch
would
be
in
a
film
titled
Patiala
Express,
where
the
boxer
plays
a
boxer!
The
film
to
be
produced
by
Percept
Ltd,
will
start
shooting
early
2011.
Before
that,
Vijender,
not
much
of
an
actor
but
possessing
the
charm
and
public
connectivity
to
set
the
screen
on
fire,
will
undergo
three
months
of
acting
course
from
October
onwards.
Speaking
on
the
project,
Shailendra
Singh
of
Percept
says,
“I
agree
Vijender
is
not
much
of
an
actor
yet.
But
he"s
very
good
looking
and
he"s
one
helluva
boxer.
We"ve
cast
him
in
Patiala
Express
as
a
boxer
because
we
know
he"ll
look
convincing.
We"ve
seen
Sohail
Khan
and
Bobby
Deol
play
boxers
(in
Abhishek
Kapoor"s
Aryan
and
Anil
Sharma"s
Apne).
What
can
I
say?"
Vijender"s
film
won"t
only
be
a
launch
pad
for
the
popular
boxer;
the
producers
are
looking
at
it
as
a
means
of
promoting
boxing.
Says
Singh,
“We
genuinely
feel
boxing
has
the
potential
to
be
the
second-most
popular
sport
in
our
country
after
cricket.
It
doesn"t
require
too
much
investment
to
be
indulged
in
and
there"s
no
need
for
a
large
expensive
stadium
for
the
bouts."
Patiala
Express
would
endeavour
to
be
the
first
authentic
boxing
film
for
India.
The
director
is
yet
to
be
finalized.
Explains
Shailendra
Singh,
“As
far
as
I
can
see,
there"s
only
one
knock-out
sports
film
in
Hindi,
and
that"s
Lagaan.
Neither
Aamir
Khan
nor
Ashutosh
Gowariker
is
available
to
direct
Vijender"s
boxing
film.
We"re
looking
at
fresh
directorial
talent
from
the
advertising
world."
As
for
Vijender"s
leading
lady,
buzz
is
Bipasha
Basu
is
stepping
into
the
boxer-turned-actor"s
romantic
arena.