Mumbai, Jun 30 (IANS): Bollywood actress Taapsee Pannu, who is awaiting the release of her upcoming sports biopic 'Shabaash Mithu', has won praise from the film's director Srijit Mukherji. The director revealed that Taapsee gave a lot of inputs, courtesy her inclination towards athletics.

Srijit, who is a huge cricket buff himself, expressed it was great working with Taapsee Pannu.

"It was fantastic working with Taapsee. She is very hardworking and intelligent. Taapsee was also very involved in the process, she would discuss the scenes extensively," Srijit added.

"She used to improvise and give suggestions on how to make the scene even better. I had a blast working with her, I think she's one of the most exciting actresses today and it was great working with her," he added.

The film is based on former Indian cricketer and skipper Mithali Raj. It tells the story of her rise amid struggles with an interesting storytelling.

"Although Taapsee is a natural athlete which helps her to play the role, she had to work extensively to portray the emotional and mental spectrum of Mithali," Srijit Mukherji revealed.

'Shabaash Mithu', produced by Viacom18 Studios, is set to hit the screens on July 15.