Indian great Tendulkar’s life brought to silver screen
A HOTLY anticipated film about the life of Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar hits cinemas this week, but the batting great says he might find watching it unsettling.
“I am used to seeing myself on a big screen inside the stadium, not inside a movie theatre,” Tendulkar said before tomorrow’s release of Sachin: A Billion Dreams.
The docudrama, directed by Emmy-nominated British filmmaker James Erskine, took four years to make and traces Tendulkar’s life from aspiring cricketer to arguably the greatest batsman of all time.
It features real footage, including clips from his matches and interviews with colleagues, family and presentday stars including Virat Kohli and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
It uses actors to recreate some scenes from the 44-yearold’s childhood in Mumbai.
Tendulkar, who played 200 test matches and enjoys an almost god-like status in cricket-mad India, consented to the biopic, but admitted that letting the cameras into his family life had not come naturally.
“Being a private person, I always believed I should let my bat do the talking, stay focused on the game and give all my energy over there,” the Little Master said in an interview.
“There are personal moments in the film and some family footage.
“I know fans want to see something more than what they have in the last 24 years. “We have spoken a lot about highs and lows and the line between me, my family and fans.”
He made his debut for India aged 16 in 1989 and broke almost every batting record possible before retiring from professional cricket in 2013.