MS Dhoni retirement: Bollywood stars hail cricket icon

You know you are at the top of your game if your life and sporting career inspires a Bollywood biopic led by a consummate actor. Former Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni, who announced his retirement from the sport on August 15, already boasts a glowing biopic, with late actor Sushant Singh Rajput breathing life and verve into the film.

And as soon as he announced his plans to retire, Bollywood stars hailed Dhoni for his massive contribution to cricket. Here’s a look at the reactions from celebrities who are unapologetic cheerleaders of Dhoni. They took to their Instagram pages and Twitter to hail the icon’s contributions…

Ranveer Singh: The Bollywood superstar posted a picture of his 22-year-old self and Dhoni in the same frame. He claims he took the picture on the job as an assistant director only because Dhoni featured in the advertisement.

“I was overworked and underpaid, but I didn’t care — I just wanted to be in HIS presence. I was even injured at the time, but I worked through the pain in the hope that as a reward for my sincere efforts, I would be granted a chance to briefly meet MSD and maybe get a photo with him. When I finally met him, I was completely awestruck. He was so humble, so down-to-earth, full of grace and exuded an unmistakable aura of kindness.” Singh then calls him a paragon of excellence and his hero forever.

Abhishek Bachchan: “End of an era. Thank you @MsDhoni for all the memories. You filled a nation with belief and pride. One of the greatest of all time.”

Yami Gautam: “Immense respect for MS Dhoni for not just being an outstanding player but also setting an exceptional example with his conduct and journey, on & beyond field.”

Priyamani Raj: “Captain Cool, lightning stumpings, last moment finishes, helicopter shot … When you hear all this … only one name comes to mind … An era comes to an end!! Thank you all for the wonderful memories!!!”

Bipasha Basu: For Bipasha Basu, MS Dhoni will always be her captain and she wrote on her Instagram page: “Captain forever @mahi7785”.

Riteish Deshmukh: “No retirement from our hearts,” tweeted Deshmukh along with an image of Dhoni springing into action on the field.

Siddhant Chaturvedi: The ‘Gully Boy’ sensation implored MS Dhoni to play one more game just to appease his fans and wrote on his Instagram: “Shukriya legend... arey yaar ek match aur! ha ha”

Mohanlal: The South Indian superstar had a succinct message for MS Dhoni: “Farewell Captain @msdhoni, Best wishes to all your future endeavours.”

Priyadarshan: Director Priyadarsan, who loves to play cricket, claims that Dhoni is a figure who can never retire from the millions of Indian hearts who have idolised him since the beginning of his career. “As long as cricket and Dhoni is there he will never be able to retire from the mind of millions of people like me who admire his contributions to the world of cricket.”

Kamal Haasan: "Dear @msdhoni Thank you for demonstrating how self-belief can help achieve in sports and life. Rising from a small town to being the hero of the nation, your calculated risks and calm demeanour will be missed by Team India. Glad that your love story with Chennai continues."