The producer of the film also shares why a British director was chosen for the project...
The trailer of the eagerly-awaited Sachin Tendulkar bio-pic Sachin: A Billion Dreams shows the iconic cricketer’s life in ‘glow’-motion. Every moment portrays him in radiant colours. Going by the trailer fans of the legend are in for a treat.
Producer Ravi Bhagchandka is a relieved man. “It took us four years to complete this dream project. Encapsulating the life and achievements of someone as imposing as Sachin Tendulkar is not easy. Where does one begin? Where does it end? We had to find the right starting point and the correct place to end our story of Sachin Tendulkar.”
To Ravi’s joy and relief Sachin supported the project from the word go. “We were very clear that we won’t make the film with an actor. Somehow, with due respects to all the bio-pics, an actor playing a real-life character always looks like acting.We wanted the real Sachin Tendulkar in our film, or no film at all. Luckily for us Sachin agreed to be an integral part of our project.”
Not only Sachin, but also Mrs Anjali Tendulkar agreed to co-operate and support the film. Sighs the producer. “It’s been a dream-run to the finish for us. Of course it was a lot of hard work.We got the rarest of footage of Sachin on the field . We put together the story from the time he became cricketer to reckon with, because that is when his life acquired a motivational aura.”
The makers of Sachin: A Billion Dreams were very sure that the film would serve as an inspiration for future generations. Says Ravi, “We’ve shown Sachin rise, and how he continued to be a man rooted to his values, devoted to family and to country even as he grew into the most formidable cricketer of our country. At one point Sachin says in the film that to him playing cricket is like going to the temple. For anyone to excel in his field of work it is essential to treat your work as worship.”
It took some convincing from Ravi Bhagchandka before Sachin Tendulkar agreed to do the film. “I knew Sachin from before. We are friends. I used to be a struggling cricketer myself. Once agreed to make the film we were very clear that we would show Sachin as iconic yet vulnerable. So we have tackled the problems that he faced in his career.” But the emphasis, says Ravi, is on positivity.
Why a British director for the project? “We wanted an outsiders perspective on Sachin’s life. He is too close to all Indians for anyone of us to dare to look at his life objectively.It had to be someone from the outside. ”
Ravi emphasises that the film is not about acting. “Sachin is there throughout. He has been our backbone from the beginning.This film on Sachin wouldn’t have been made if he hadn’t agreed to be a part of it.Only the childhood portions of his life are done by a child actor (who by the way is a miracle). The rest is all done by Sachin himself.”
The film is being dubbed in multiple languages and Sachin has done all his lines in three of the versions. Says Ravi, “Sachin has dubbed in Hindi, English and Marathi.He’s so integral to the film that we feel we got to know him even better through our association over the project. Throughout he guided us and took us on a journey through his career.”
Sachin: A Billion Dreams opens a month after Baabubali 2. Quips Ravi,“The same distributor Anil Thadani who is releasing Baahubali 2 is also releasing Sachin: A Billion Dreams.I keep telling him, ‘You have the fictional Baahubali and then you have the real Baahubali coming up.”
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 "Bollywood, Sachin Tendulkar, Sachin: A Billion Dreams, Anil Thadani, producer, directer, biopic, Sachin Tendulkar biopic, Sachin")
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