Raina feels his memoir has the potential to be made into a biopic
Former Indian allrounder, Suresh Raina — who calls himself “shy and reserved” — has bared it all in his forthcoming memoir titled Believe. And since the cricketer boasts of having unpeeled a lot of layers of his life, he’s of the opinion that:
“My book has the potential to both interest and inspire people in the form of a biopic!”
Sounding optimistic to take up any scripts that come his way, Raina says, “I’ve spoken to people involved with Bollywood over the years. If I’m ever approached with a script that interests me, I might consider it for sure.”
Ranked among one of the best in the T20 batsmen, he recalls how taking one step at a time helped him achieve success. He says, “I don’t think I’ve changed as a person. Deep inside, I’m still the same Suresh Raina who went to Lucknow Sports College. I have opened up more since then. But, I think the one principle I’ve stuck to is being in the present.”
With numerous biographies and autobiographies of sportspersons having released, a certain scepticism on what to include comes to mind. But Raina says he hasn’t left anything out “consciously”. “I have made sure that there is as little negativity as possible. I have described the times in my life which I found challenging in detail. There’s no hiding from it,” he says.
Donning the writer’s hat was not easy, but Raina had Steve Waugh’s (former cricketer) autobiography Out of My Comfort Zone, to inspire him. “He had given it to me himself. I’ve also been inspired by other books, like the ones about Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer (both former Australian cricketers),” he reveals.
And any conversation with Raina is incomplete without the mention of the interesting bits about his “Mahi Bhai” (former Indian skipper MS Dhoni). “We started playing for India around the same time. Both he and I have really grown together as cricketers. I’ve learnt a lot from him along the way — to be humble and to respect the game. On the field, it’s always serious business, but off it, there’s never a dull moment between us. Always a lot of masti!”