Sachin Tendulkar. Apart from being synonymous with Indian cricket, this name is also an emotion. Watching the story of his life uncoil on silver screen brimmed me with nostalgia.
This docudrama is a praiseworthy portraiture of the legendary sportsman. The foremost feature of this biopic is that it unquestionably lives up to the expectations of every cricket lover of our nation. Director, James Erskine did not manifest any 'larger than life' story and was resolute in keeping things unembellished.
The film will let you catch a glimpse of Sachin's journey, narrated by the 'God of Cricket' himself. The film unfolds the stories of Tendulkar's childhood and the notorious boy that he was. He shared some endearing moments with his family, his exigent but supportive coach, Achrekar Sir, his friends, his wife, and the moment he held his newborn for the first time. The fact that telling his parents that he wanted to marry Anjali was tougher than facing the most frightening bowlers, will make you grin.
The script touches on the epoch of Greg Chappell and his game of 'divide and conquer'. These were the dark times of match/spot fixing that affected the esprit de corps of the Indian team tremendously. Despite getting injured a number of times, Sachin chose not to give up and his consistent performances earned him a fan following across the globe.
The story is tactfully written by Sivakumar Ananth and satisfactorily carried out by the director. It also includes actual footage from the master's childhood, his test debut against Pakistan, his interviews, the era of his captaincy, the commentators and spectators going gaga over his boundaries, and his classic innings. It cleverly expresses that every match played between India and its neighbouring country, Pakistan, is more than just a game of cricket and how tensions caused camaraderie to unlock the doors for hostility. Assorted emotions ran through me while watching the semi-final match of the World Cup back in 2011. Perhaps, more than the final match against Sri Lanka. Every Indian lost hope as soon as Sachin had to walk out of the playing arena. Winning the World Cup was Sachin's ultimate dream. And after biting all my fingernails, I sat, holding my nerve, waiting for one of the batsmen to take the aerial route. And after watching that ravishing helicopter shot by MS Dhoni, while jumping on the couch with jubilation, all I wanted to see was Sachin Tendulkar's face.
Besides all this, it was heartening to watch his contemporaries recount their reminiscences with the living legend.
To sum up, this documentary is a walk down memory lane and if you are an ardent lover of cricket it is going to make you feel every emotion. His farewell speech will make you weep because you don't want him to leave and you wish to continue watching him hit those boundaries.
Be ready for some goosebumps that you'll get while reliving those pivotal moments in the history of Indian cricket along with A.R. Rahman's soulful track playing in the background.
Who would've thought that a boy coming from a middle-class Maharashtrian family could hold a world record? Behind that record, is the blood, sweat and faith that has made him what he is today.
"You're like the sun.
Your fans are as countless as the stars,
Your nation's love for you is as boundless as the ocean.
The air we breathe is a breath by you,
and till my last breath,
I promise to bleed blue.
When times got gut-wrenching,
You stood up and stood tall,
You're a lion,
The king of all."
- Isha
This docudrama is a praiseworthy portraiture of the legendary sportsman. The foremost feature of this biopic is that it unquestionably lives up to the expectations of every cricket lover of our nation. Director, James Erskine did not manifest any 'larger than life' story and was resolute in keeping things unembellished.
The film will let you catch a glimpse of Sachin's journey, narrated by the 'God of Cricket' himself. The film unfolds the stories of Tendulkar's childhood and the notorious boy that he was. He shared some endearing moments with his family, his exigent but supportive coach, Achrekar Sir, his friends, his wife, and the moment he held his newborn for the first time. The fact that telling his parents that he wanted to marry Anjali was tougher than facing the most frightening bowlers, will make you grin.The script touches on the epoch of Greg Chappell and his game of 'divide and conquer'. These were the dark times of match/spot fixing that affected the esprit de corps of the Indian team tremendously. Despite getting injured a number of times, Sachin chose not to give up and his consistent performances earned him a fan following across the globe.
The story is tactfully written by Sivakumar Ananth and satisfactorily carried out by the director. It also includes actual footage from the master's childhood, his test debut against Pakistan, his interviews, the era of his captaincy, the commentators and spectators going gaga over his boundaries, and his classic innings. It cleverly expresses that every match played between India and its neighbouring country, Pakistan, is more than just a game of cricket and how tensions caused camaraderie to unlock the doors for hostility. Assorted emotions ran through me while watching the semi-final match of the World Cup back in 2011. Perhaps, more than the final match against Sri Lanka. Every Indian lost hope as soon as Sachin had to walk out of the playing arena. Winning the World Cup was Sachin's ultimate dream. And after biting all my fingernails, I sat, holding my nerve, waiting for one of the batsmen to take the aerial route. And after watching that ravishing helicopter shot by MS Dhoni, while jumping on the couch with jubilation, all I wanted to see was Sachin Tendulkar's face.
Besides all this, it was heartening to watch his contemporaries recount their reminiscences with the living legend.
To sum up, this documentary is a walk down memory lane and if you are an ardent lover of cricket it is going to make you feel every emotion. His farewell speech will make you weep because you don't want him to leave and you wish to continue watching him hit those boundaries.
Be ready for some goosebumps that you'll get while reliving those pivotal moments in the history of Indian cricket along with A.R. Rahman's soulful track playing in the background.
Who would've thought that a boy coming from a middle-class Maharashtrian family could hold a world record? Behind that record, is the blood, sweat and faith that has made him what he is today.
"You're like the sun.
Your fans are as countless as the stars,
Your nation's love for you is as boundless as the ocean.
The air we breathe is a breath by you,
and till my last breath,
I promise to bleed blue.
When times got gut-wrenching,
You stood up and stood tall,
You're a lion,
The king of all."
- Isha
