Kal Penn, famous for his roles in films like Harold and Kumar and Namesake, is currently set to take on the role of Toronto Raptors superfan Nav Bhatia in an upcoming biopic. The UCLA School of Theater alum will also be credited as the producer of this film.
Nav Bhatia is perhaps the most iconic name associated with the NBA in Canada. He has been a huge fan of the team for decades now, and his loyalty earned him legendary status in the NBA community over the years. Last year, Bhatia became the first fan to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame. The Raptors also honored his loyalty to the team by gifting him a championship ring and letting him lead the team’s championship parade in 2019.
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To play a character of such iconic status in the Canadian NBA community is both honorable and challenging. Penn says:
Looks like Nav Bhatia is equally excited about having Kal Penn star as him in this biopic:
I’ve been researching and following Nav’s incredible story ever since I saw him at a Raptor’s game the year we started filming Designated Survivor in Toronto… The crowd loves him – to see what a source of pride he is for Canadians – and all basketball fans, really – makes me smile. His story is one of unity, which I’m especially excited and proud to bring to life.
In addition to this upcoming project, CBS is also releasing a documentary on this famed fan, which will be titled Superfan: The Nav Bhatia Story. The documentary will be narrating Bhatia’s journey from being an educated yet penniless Sikh immigrant navigating a tough journey while facing racism and bigotry, to become a legendary Raptors fan and one of the most prolific car dealership owners in all of Canada.
I’m speechless. To have the opportunity to continue to tell my story with such esteemed producers is a dream. Then to find out Kal Penn has been brought on to play me is even more surreal… This is not something I can even dream of. He is one of my favorite actors and to know he also loves basketball is an added bonus. I’ll be teaching him all my tricks of the trade when distracting opposing players!
Bhatia has never missed a Raptors home game. He shares his passion every season through philanthropy and education, enabling underprivileged kids from across the country the opportunity to attend Raptors games. He also sponsors and organizes the Baisakhi halftime show once a year in April on the Raptors’ court, giving many Canadians an opportunity to celebrate Sikh New Year together.
The upcoming biopic about this inspiring superfan will be produced by Greg Silverman and Jon Berg of Stampede Ventures, along with Kal Penn himself.
