Published: Feb 15, 2015, 01:51 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 16, 2015, 01:41 PM (IST)
Amitabh Bachchan, probably the greatest voice India has heard and the biggest superstar Bollywood has produced, is all set to don the microphone for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 clash between India and Pakistan to be played at Adelaide Oval. While India and Pakistan play for the sixth time in World Cup cricket (and the second time in the tournament on Australian soil), this is going to be the first time that Bachchan will become a full-time commentator for an international match.
However, the biggest icon in Bollywood has had his brushes with the biggest sport in India. Amitabh Bachchan is, and remains, an avid cricket follower; he has been quite vocal on cricket on social media; and in his heydays, he had played several fund-raising matches involving cricketers. Despite being a left-hander in every other field, he bats right-handed — a trait he shares with Sachin Tendulkar. However, Amitabh bowls left-arm spin, unlike the right-handed Tendulkar.
The connections do not end here. Let us have a list:
1. A perfect ambassador
Despite the option of having a plethora of cricket megastars to choose from, ESPN Star Sports, the official broadcaster of Champions League 2010, had named Amitabh Bachchan as the brand ambassador for the marquee tournament. It was a first in the history of the tournament, and remains the only such instance.
2. The Gavaskar connect
In 1990, Amitabh Bachchan became the first recipient of the Filmfare Raj Kapoor Award for Lifetime Achievement. Bachchan was, not unexpectedly, the first recipient. If Bachchan had to be honoured, it had to be Sunil Gavaskar to present him with it: they had, after all, risen to the ascent together in the 1970s.
3. Merchant and Hazare, Raja and Bari
If do not recall the iconic “bheri phunny language” dialogue from Namak Halaal you should probably not call yourself an Amitabh Bachchan fan. It is to be noted that Vijay Merchant and Vijay Hazare never played at Melbourne in 1929, and Wasim Raja and Wasim Bari never got run out at Wankhede while batting together.
Here is the quote, just to re-live the moment: “In the year 1929 when India was playing Australia at the Melbourne stadium Vijay Hazare and Vijay Merchant were at the crease. Vijay Merchant told Vijay Hazare: ‘Look, Vijay Hazare Sir, this is a very prestigious match and we must consider it very prestigiously. We must take this into consideration, the consideration that this is an important match and ultimately this consideration must end in a run.’ In the year 1979 when Pakistan was playing against India at the Wankhede Stadium Wasim Raja and Wasim Bari were at the crease and they took the same consideration. Wasim Raja told Wasim Bari: ‘Look, Wasim Bari, we must consider this consideration and considering that this is an important match we must put this consideration into action and ultimately score a run.’ And both of them considered the consideration and ran and both of them got out.”
4. Amar Roberts Anthony
Remember Amar Akbar Anthony? Remember the scene when Inspector Amar Khanna (VinodKhanna), looking for Robert (Jeevan), confronts Anthony Gonzalves, and the following dialogue takes place (one must remember that Andy Roberts did not make an appearance in India anytime close to the release of the movie):
Amar: Robert kahaan hai? (Where is Robert?)
Anthony: Robert? Kaun Robert? Oh, woh fast bowler Andy Roberts? Are saab, match khatam hua, West Indies chala gaya, apun se saala milke bhi nahin gaya. (Robert? Which Robert? Oh, the fast bowler Andy Roberts? Sir, he returned to West Indies as soon as the match got over: he did not even bother to meet me before leaving).
5. In trouble with Parveen
Remember Shaan, probably the most stylish Bollywood movie till then, where Vijay Kumar (Bachchan), waiting for his girlfriend Sunita (Parveen Babi), tried to flirt with a girl? They were all busy, planning on children that would go on to make fine cricketers, when Sunita played spoilsport. It is another thing that Mohammad Rafi, Kishore Kumar, and AshaBhosle soon took over with “jaanu meri jaan”, yet another RD Burman special…
6. The voice of Lagaan
Lagaan (2001) was the third Indian movie to be shortlisted for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film. The Ashutosh Gowariker epic revolved around a cricket match between Indian villagers and their British rulers. Bachchan was the narrator of the 225-minute movie.
7. A cricketer son
Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham (2001) starts with Rohan (Hrithik Roshan) hitting a six to win a match. Rohan later visited London, where he listened to the commentary of a match between India and England on the car radio with his long-lost brother Rahul, which helped increased the bonding between the two. Of course, they were the sons of Yashvardhan Raichand, portrayed by the legend himself.
8. Sun City
Cricket and Bollywood fans were delighted and amused to see Amitabh Bachchan and Fanie de Villiers as judges for Miss World pageant 1994 at Sun City. It was another thing that AishwariyaRai, crowned Miss World that day, went on to become Bachchan’s daughter-in-law over a decade later.
(The above article was first published in CricketCountry)
