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Sachin Tendulkar to act in Ashutosh Gowarikar-film based on his life

Megastar Rajnikant to star in a guest role in Sachin Tendulkar's debut film.

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Three Indian legends, Rajnikant, Sachin Tendulkar and Madhuri Dixit (from left) will star in a film on Tendulkar's life.
Three Indian legends, Rajnikant, Sachin Tendulkar and Madhuri Dixit (from left) will star in a film on Tendulkar’s life.

 

Cricketing legend, Sachin Tendulkar, for the first time, is making a move from real to reel life as he will be starring in a film based on his life. Directed by the famous Bollywood director Ashutosh Gowrikar, the film will also have big names like Rajnikant, Madhuri Dixit and Nana Patekar in the star cast. Surdlock Holmes has got some inside information on the Tendulkar-Gowarikar association that has got the cricketing community in India super-exited!

 

Sachin Tendulkar is arguably as big, or even bigger, than the biggest actor in the Indian film industry. Ever since his retirement from Test cricket, the iconic name has been pursued by several noted film makers to star in a movie that encapsulates his mindboggling life and times. Among those who wanted Tendulkar act in such a film are names like Karan Johar, Madhur Bhandarkar, Sanjay Leela Bhansali and Vidhu Vinod Chopra.

 

Tendulkar has always been an Indian first and then a Maharashtrian or a Mumbaikar. But when it came to starring in a film, he gave his mother tongue top priority. There were many reasons for Tendulkar acting in a Marathi film based on his life. A Tendulkar family member, who prefers to be anonymous, revealed: “Sachin feels whatever he is today is because of the role the many Maharashtrians who played an important role early in his life… his family, his brother Ajit in particular, his coach, his schoolmates, his best friend, his Mumbai team and the early fan following he got from the city of Mumbai while he was still in school. He is a staunch believer in acknowledging gratitude and which is why he chose the Marathi film ahead of the many Hindi film offers with greater mass appeal.”

 

The honour of directing Tendulkar’s film — titled “Aapla Sachin[Marathi for “Our Sachin”] — has gone to Ashutosh Gowarikar, a famed name in Bollywood whose film “Lagaan” — an epic revolving around a cricket match between a group of Indian villagers and the British — was nominated for the Oscars. The matter was kept under wraps but disclosed only on Gudhi Padwa day — Monday, March 31, 2014. Both Tendulkar and Gowarikar are Maharashtrians and wanted the official start of the film on an auspicious day.

 

How Sachin Tendulkar got the role

 

Interestingly, Tendulkar was not supposed to star in the film “Sachin”. Gowarikar wanted to make a biopic on Sachin Pilgaonkar, a huge name in Marathi films and soaps, and asked one of his men to meet Sachin and find out if he would be interested in acting in the film based on his life. Gowarikar’s man went to Sachin Tendulkar, who — after a quick word with his wife, mother and brother Ajit — promptly agreed to acting in the film. What prompted Tendulkar to readily agree was the fact that Gowarikar — a man whom he and his good friend Aamir Khan — who would be directing the film. Gowarikar’s man came excitedly and gave him the good news. But to Gowarikar’s utter shock he realised that his man had gone and got the nod from the wrong Sachin! There was no way Gowarikar was going to hurt India’s national treasure and took a decision then and there that he would make a film on Sachin Tendulkar.

 

The Tendulkar-Gowarikar charisma then got some very big Maharashtrian names in the film industry. Sagarika Ghatge, of Chak De fame, will act as Anjali Tendulkar in the film, while playing Sachin’s mother-in-law would be played by Madhuri Dixit. The role of Ramakant Achrekar in the movie will be played by Nana Patekar. It’s learnt that the director wants Vinod Kambli to play Vinod Kambli and efforts are on to reach the left-hander, who was unreachable. An ace makeup man from Los Angeles has been roped in to make Tendulkar look close to what he was in his youth. Getting Kambli and putting the clock back through make-up will give the film a very realistic feel, told a confidant from the Gowarikar camp.

 

The icing on the cake is, of course, Marathi manoos Shivajirao Gaekwad — the only and the only Rajnikant — acting in a guest role.

 

The film is likely to hit the theatres just before the 2015 World Cup. So, after the Bharat Ratna, can we hope Sachin Tendulkar — the man with the Midas touch — to come up with an Oscar-winning performance?

 

(Surdlock Holmes snoops around to ferret out stories that reporters from mainstream media fail to unearth. He prefers to conceal his identity for professional reasons)

 

Please note: The above story is undiluted fiction and was just meant to be an April Fool prank. Please take it in the spirit of the day’s mood.

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