Laru fish shop from 'MS Dhoni' film is now popular

RANCHI: Rajendra Nishad, owner of Laru Fish Shop in Doranda, where Indian cricket skipper MS Dhoni's school cricket coach Keshav Ranjan Banerjee was seen buying fish in the biopic - MS Dhoni: The untold story - has now become a household name in the locality.

"Earlier, our customers were restricted to Hinoo, South Office Para, North Office Para, Birsa Chowk, Niwaranpur and areas neighbouring Doranda. Since the release of the movie, our business has grown. Regular varieties of fishes like rohu, katla, prawn and pomfret and fresh water fish are selling like hot cakes," Nishad said.

The shop, named in the memory of Nishad's mother, is a familiar spot for most Bengalis here. Snighdha Sarkar, a retired government employee residing near Birsa Munda Airport, said she recommends Laru Fish Shop to every foodie she knows.

Apart from the popularity, the owners had earlier earned a 'return gift' from the production unit of the movie for allowing them to shoot at his shop.


Director of the biopic Neeraj Pandey (Centre) with Sushant Singh Rajput (Right) & Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Left) at a promotional event. (Image: BCCL)

Nishad's son Parash said the film was shot at their shop in April last year. "It took the unit nearly six to seven hours to shoot Banerjee sir and his wife's characters buying fish. At the end of the shoot, we were gifted fresh Rohu fish worth Rs 5,000 by the production unit as a token of gratitude. For us, it was far more valuable than money," said Parash.

Parash's brother Prakash said, "Banerji sir was not in the frame though he has been coming to the shop for more than two decades, particularly on Sundays."

"I have been buying chara-pona (fresh water fish) from Laru Fish Shop since 1988," he said.

Interestingly, the character of the fish seller in the movie was also played by a Bollywood actor. Parash said they were standing on the side of the frame. "The displayed Rohu fish in the movie were bought by the unit. Ours were not shown," he said.