Mahendra Singh Dhoni's fans are legion, but his alma mater in Ranchi indubitably spawns the core group of diehard followers, both on reel and in real.
Around 1,200 students from Classes VI to XII of Jawahar Vidya Mandir, Shyamali, and 30 teachers trooped to a multiplex in Hinoo on Friday to catch the first day first show of M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story, the much-touted biopic by acclaimed director Neeraj Pandey, and left feeling blissfully happy, either because Captain Cool lifted the World Cup for India after 28 years or more because he won the love of his life.
"I thoroughly enjoyed the climax. Rewind to 2011, bhaiya (the popular sobriquet for Dhoni on the JVM campus) hits a six and we get the coveted Cup. Kya mast scene tha (What a terrific scene it was)," exclaimed Ayush Nandi, a Class VII student.
Ninth graders Arya Bharti and Sonali Singh couldn't stop drooling over the protagonist. "Sushant Singh Rajput was awesome in the role (of Dhoni). I particularly liked the scenes where Dhoni meets Sakshi in Calcutta, and when he makes the proposal," said Arya and Sonali giggled in consent.
For yet another bunch of kids, the experience of watching their campus idol on screen was thrilling beyond words. Class VII students Siddhant Anand, Smriti Keshri and Ipsha Sinha gave double thumbs up to the movie.
Besides teachers, school principal A.K. Singh and Ranchi traffic SP Sanjay Ranjan Singh too watched Dhoni's Untold Story with the children.
"The film, even if long, was engrossing. There was no room for monotony. It was inspiring to see how a boy from our small town became the pride of the entire nation. Personally, I liked the scene, where Dhoni asks Sakshi to marry him," said SP Singh, giving a hint of his own romantic side.
For teachers like Seema Sanyal and Abha Sahay, the film offered a strong sense of déjà vu. "I spotted myself in a scene, where Dhoni (Sushant Singh Rajput) after scoring a century enters our staff room to offer laddoos," said Sanyal.
Sahay, who is seen in the movie as an invigilator during school exams, beamed: " Mera bhi ek chhota sa role hai (I could see myself in a cameo role)."
Teachers Madhumita Das and Sushmita Dey were moved by the scene where Dhoni leaves his railway job to pursue a career in cricket. "If you dare to dream, you must learn to chase it too. Our Dhoni did so and look how he has now conquered the world," Das said and Dey agreed.
For JVM-Shyamali games coach Keshab Banerjee, who is credited for having introduced a football-loving Dhoni to cricket, it was a busy day for a different reason. " Hum sirf movie dekhne nahi aaye; sab kuch toh maloom hai. Hum bachchon ko supervise karne aaye hai (I know Dhoni inside out. I am here not to watch the film, but to supervise the children)," he said outside the plex.
Vimal Kumar of Fun Cinemas at Hinoo said while three shows went houseful on Friday, thanks to Shyamalians, the school had also booked a chunk of seats for Sunday.
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