‘SATNAM’S FULL OF HUMOUR’

Director Roman Gackowski, who has made a film on basketball player Satnam, says he’s a softhearted, fun guy

Basketball player Satnam Singh Bhamara’s humour impressed Roman Gackowski when he met the basketball player for the first time. And the Emmy-award winning director confesses it was quite a surprise.

“When we see or first meet an athlete who is as physically intimidating as Satnam, you expect they are the same off the court or playing field. What we learned is that he is very much the opposite. He has a wonderful sense of humour and is extremely respectful, perhaps too much so in that he is learning to be even more aggressive on the court,” shares Roman, who with producer Michael Ratner has made a documentary, One In a Billion, on Satnam. He adds that they were interested in the project as they wanted to highlight Satnam the person in it. “In many ways, Satnam was a true pioneer in his attempt to become the first ever Indian-born player to be drafted in the NBA, yet we always felt that the core of the story was the young man himself,” says Roman, adding that he had a wonderful time shooting the film in India as Satnam’s family made sure that they were pampered with yummy authentic local cuisine.

What’s his favourite part of the documentary? “A scene when Satnam recounts the moment when both he and his coach at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, realised that he had finally overcome the language barrier that had been making everyday life, as well as basketball, difficult for him. You can hear in his voice and see it in his face, the relief and happiness that Satnam felt at that moment, and that it would be a turning point in his journey. It is a simple moment in the film but one in which everyone in the edit room wanted to give him a hug,” recounts Roman.

Satnam Singh is extremely respectful, perhaps too much so in that he is learning to be even more aggressive on the court ROMAN GACKOWSKI, FILMMAKER