Sachin: A Billion Dreams - Indian cricket icon on new movie

Ajit Vijaykumar 21:15 15/05/2017
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  • Iconic batsman Sachin Tendulkar was in Dubai on Sunday to promote his upcoming biographical film ‘Sachin: A Billion Dreams’ that the 44-year-old promises will provide a unique peek into his extraordinary life on and off the field.

    The movie will be released on May 25 in the UAE and fans will get to know what made Tendulkar tick as a person and player. With never-before-seen footage from Tendulkar’s personal archive, the movie will provide sports lovers an opportunity to witness the highs and lows of Tendulkar’s remarkable career in which he became the most prolific batsman in history, scoring 100 international centuries.

    Encapsulating all that into a movie was no mean task and Tendulkar said reliving all those moments of his life was “special”.

    “When I started recording for the movie, to relive all those moments was something special,” Tendulkar told Sport360.

    “There were a few emotional moments where there were personal losses, and some unpleasant moments on the field. There were also some amazing moments that were the best cricketing days of my life. Reminiscing all those things was superb. To look back and think about 24 years, the package wasn’t a bad one.”

    As expected, a lot of effort went into the movie with the creators going through more than 10,000 hours of footage to produce as complete a picture as possible of Tendulkar’s life.

    “I have spoken about my childhood as well in the movie. From the age of five, all the way to my retirement. In that there were various chapters and we have tried to cover all of them. That package is 10,000 hours of archives and personal videos.

    “I told the producer and director that it is their job to stitch things together to make sense of it all as expectations are very high. We have tried our best,” the World Cup winning batsman said.

    His latest effort is in contrast to his persona during his playing days when Tendulkar guarded his thoughts and private life fiercely.

    “I have been a private person. People know about it. But people also have high expectations. So when they leave the theatre, what do I leave with them is really important. That’s why we have added personal videos which the entire family felt comfortable sharing. It’s something the fans would never have seen.”

    Sachin’s fans across the world want to know what was the driving force for him as a player and a person. The Mumbai icon assured cricket fans will get to see the ‘real’ Sachin.

    “It’s not just me it. My friends, family as well have spoken about it. It’s not just about what I did on the field. But also… while things were happening on the field, what was going on in my mind. And beyond that.

    “Throughout my career, I have done things the way I felt right. That’s exactly what I have done in the film as well. I have spoken the way I felt it was and left it to the director because he is the one stitching it together.”

    While he has been an inspiration to millions, there a few people Sachin himself looked up to.

    “There were many personalities like that. First it has to be my family, my parents. Even before I started playing cricket, the way they brought me up was really important. And then when I started playing, my coach Ramakant Achrekar and all the coaches and players after that. Without their support and all the appreciation from supporters, I would not have been sitting in this place. Whenever something happened in my life, there were millions and millions who were sharing that happiness. That encouraged me to move further.”

    Comparisons are being drawn between Sachin’s upcoming movie and that of his former team-mates MS Dhoni and Mohammad Azharuddin. But the record-breaking batsman insisted his movie is unique and shouldn’t be compared to that of other players.

    “Those are different films. Every individual is different. It’s important to show people what I am, what my life is, and not take tips from other people. We have not tried to copy anyone. And I don’t like comparisons as well. We should respect every individual for what the individual is.”

    Comparisons are being drawn between Sachin’s upcoming movie and that of his former team-mates MS Dhoni and Mohammad Azharuddin. But the record-breaking batsman insisted his movie is unique and shouldn’t be compared to that of other players

    “Those are different films. Every individual is different. It’s important to show people what I am, what my life is, and not take tips from other people. We have not tried to copy anyone. And I don’t like comparisons as well. We should respect every individual for what the individual is.”

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