Farhad Samji, best known for broad comedies and mass entertainers, is shifting gears. The writer-director — whose work includes Bollywood crowd-pleasers like Bachchhan Paandey, Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan and Housefull 4, and who has co-written hits such as Singham and Chennai Express with his brother Sajid — has penned the screenplay and dialogues for a new film based on the life of Senior Inspector Subhash Shinde.
From slapstick to a sensitive, real-life story
Farhad’s name is usually associated with loud comedies and punchy masala cinema. This new project marks a clear genre shift: a grounded, human story that explores police service, passion for cricket and community-building. Farhad has co-written the screenplay and dialogues with Piyush Singh, adapting a narrative rooted in real life and memory.
Adapted from Safed Khaki — the story behind the film
The film is based on the book Safed Khaki, written by Atharwa Shinde, daughter of Subhash Shinde. In an interview with Mid-Day in November 2025, Atharwa recalled that noted filmmaker Nishikant Kamat — director of Mumbai Meri Jaan and the 2015 Drishyam — had once been impressed by her father’s story and wanted to make a film. The project stalled after Kamat’s untimely demise in 2020, but the idea has now been revived with Farhad at the writing helm.
Atharwa expressed her feelings about the new collaboration: “I feel immense joy and deep gratitude that Farhad Samji is writing the screenplay and dialogues for my story.”
Music and lyrics: a Marathi connection
The film will feature songs written by Nitin Ramesh Tendulkar, a respected lyricist in Marathi cinema and elder brother of cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. Bringing a Marathi writer into the music team hints at an authentic regional texture for the soundtrack, which should complement the film’s setting and the story’s cricketing ties.
Who was Senior Inspector Subhash Shinde?
Subhash Shinde spent more than four decades with the Maharashtra Police, serving largely in the Crime Branch. Beyond his policing career, he had a deep connection to cricket. In his younger days he trained under the Bombay Cricket Association’s Mafatlal Bowling Scheme (which began in 1990), and on November 11, 2011, he formed a police cricket team in Navi Mumbai Rural.
Despite low expectations at first, the team rose to impressive heights, winning numerous tournaments across the Mumbai Cricket Association and state circuits. Their victories include:
- Times Shield
- Government Shield
- DY Patil Tournament
- Kanga League
- Kurla Bapat Tournament
- Thane Vaibhav Tournament
- Several other MCA-affiliated office and corporate events
Why this story matters
The blend of law enforcement and grassroots cricket gives this film a natural emotional core: a public servant who channels his passion for sport into building a team, community pride and opportunity. It’s the kind of real-life arc that can move between grit and warmth — and, given Farhad’s comic sensibilities, could also balance lighter human moments with serious drama.
What to expect next
Details such as casting, director (if different from Farhad), and release date have not been announced yet. For now, the key creative team — Atharwa Shinde’s life story, Farhad Samji and Piyush Singh’s screenplay and dialogues, and Nitin Ramesh Tendulkar’s lyrics — suggests a film rooted in local colour, cricketing passion and decades of public service. It’s a departure for Farhad and an intriguing project to watch for fans of true stories and cricket-inspired drama.