Film

M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story

Name: M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story
Genre: Drama
Released: 2016
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Anupam Kher, Disha Patani, Kiara Advani, Rajesh Sharma

Biopic

A Hindi-language sports biography following M.S. Dhoni's rise from small-town India to cricket stardom and World Cup glory. It's a patient, character-driven film about ambition, sacrifice, and the price of excellence, anchored by a quietly charismatic performance. Best for those who love underdog stories or want to understand one of cricket's most fascinating captains.

TMDb rating

3.6

Should you watch it?

Watch it if you enjoy sports biopics that linger on a family's patience, a small-town boyhood and the unglamorous years before any applause arrives.

Skip it if you want a tight, cricket-heavy sports movie, since this one is long, sentimental and happy to let domestic scenes run as long as the matches.

What it asks of you: Just over three hours, and it moves like a long family saga rather than a match: patient, warm and built in chapters, so settle in early.

Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.

If you liked this

Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India2001

A sweeping, ambitious cricket film that uses the sport as a lens for colonialism and collective resilience. It has the same epic scope and emotional weight, with sport as metaphor rather than mere spectacle.

But Nearly four hours long and requires patience with subtitled Bollywood conventions. The romantic subplot may feel like a distraction if you're there purely for cricket.

Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India poster

Chak De! India2007

Shah Rukh Khan leads a hockey team toward redemption through grit and teamwork. It's a tightly crafted sports drama with the same DNA: underdog triumph, coach as mentor figure, national pride without sentimentality.

But The sports sequences are less technically detailed than Dhoni. Some character arcs resolve too neatly.

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag2013

Another Hindi sports biography about an athlete overcoming poverty and personal tragedy. It has similar narrative architecture—humble origins, relentless work ethic, climactic moment—but with even more visceral training montages.

But It's more operatic and less introspective than Dhoni. The trauma sequences can feel manipulative.

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The Two Escobars2010

Both interrogate what national sporting glory means in a particular time and place, and both suggest that individual achievement exists within larger forces—one joyful, one horrifying.

A documentary about Colombian footballers during narco violence, exploring how sport and crime intersected in one nation. It asks the same question Dhoni does—what does triumph mean in a specific historical moment?—but with tragic stakes.

But It's a documentary about murder and cocaine trafficking, not an inspirational biography. The darkness never lifts. Requires appetite for true crime.

Rocky1976

The template for every underdog sports film: a nobody from nowhere gets one shot. It has the same emotional rhythm and belief in transformation through discipline, minus the cricket but plus genuine innovation.

But It's 50 years old and shows its age. If you're specifically hungry for cricket, this won't satisfy that.

Raging Bull1980

Scorsese's portrait of boxer Jake LaMotta is a masterclass in showing the obsession and isolation required to excel. Like Dhoni, it asks what success costs a person, not just what it gains them.

But It's brutally bleak and focused on a deeply flawed protagonist. There's no triumph here, only complexity. Black and white photography may feel austere.

Million Dollar Baby2004

Clint Eastwood on mentorship, sacrifice, and the relationship between coach and athlete. It has the same quiet intensity and belief that greatness is built on small, unglamorous choices.

But It's a boxing film, not cricket, so the sport itself won't resonate the same way. The ending is emotionally devastating in a different register.

Iqbal2005

An Indian cricket film about a deaf-mute bowler overcoming disability to chase his dream. It shares Dhoni's focus on persistence, family sacrifice, and cricket as a path out of limited circumstances.

But It's considerably more melodramatic and sentimental. Some viewers find it manipulative in its use of the protagonist's disability.

Ford v Ferrari2019

A beautifully crafted film about obsession, partnership, and winning the impossible race. The mechanics of excellence and the relationship between mentor and protégé mirror what Dhoni explores.

But It's about 1960s motorsports, not Indian cricket, so the cultural specificity is completely different. Some sequences prioritize spectacle over character.

Dangal2016

Released the same year, this Aamir Khan film follows a wrestler training his daughters to be champions. It has similar DNA: humble origins, a father-figure's mentorship, and quiet determination as the real story.

But The gender-politics subplot feels dated and can overshadow the sports narrative. It's sentimentality with occasional heavyhandedness.

Senna2010

Both are biopics of athletes obsessed with winning that use that obsession—not the trophies—as the real subject. Both treat sport as a window into character rather than spectacle.

An animated documentary about Ayrton Senna's obsessive rivalry and search for perfection. It's visually stunning and examines the psychological cost of excellence with poetic intensity.

But It's animated rather than live-action, and assumes you know F1 racing. The tone is melancholic, not triumphant. Some find the rotoscope animation fatiguing.