For Kashyap, it was boxing and the case of Narsingh Pancham Yadav, who was accused of doping, that prompted him to make the film.[1] Singh said that he knew about the "politics, caste bias and power struggles in sports associations" but Kashyap developed the sociopolitical side of the script.[9] To prepare for the role, Singh could find only mixed martial arts fighters in Mumbai, who were expensive.