The idea of the biopic was put forward by Dhoni's manager, Arun Pandey, after encountering an incident at an airport after the 2011 Cricket World Cup Final. Development began two years later, with the consent of Dhoni. Neeraj Pandey was later approached to helm the film while he was working on "Baby". Pandey recruited a number of people for research into Dhoni's background and his life events. Dhoni eventually became a consultant on the film.