Coffeehouse for desis
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.

Ashdoc's movie review---Sachin , a billion dreams

Go down

Ashdoc's movie review---Sachin , a billion dreams Empty Ashdoc's movie review---Sachin , a billion dreams

Post by ashdoc Wed Jun 07, 2017 1:53 pm

I watched this film for old times sake....today my interest in cricket is less , and time is even less for watching the sport . But I used to watch cricket on TV as I was growing up , during my college days and my youth . And for most of those years , the man my country used to ride it's hopes on in the game of cricket was Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar . 

So watching the film on Sachin was a trip into the past times . And the film has been appropriately made , for it does evoke nostalgia for the bygone era . 

The film begins when my world was young , for I am only a year younger than Sachin . It was his older brother Ajit who noticed the spark of talent in Sachin , and took him to the classes of coach Ramakant Achrekar in Mumbai's iconic cricketer breeding ground---Shivaji park . 

The film must have given Sachin the rare chance for coming back to his roots , for today he cannot come to Shivaji park without a horde of security men . But we see Sachin talking about his early days from the very pitch he used to practice from . 

The fame came at a very early age due to the record breaking partnership with Vinod Kambli , and one gets to see interviews taken with a very young Sachin still having pimples of a teenager . And from here there was no looking back . 

The footage of his first test series against Pakistan is very grainy , for in those days the cameras were of state owned television . But as India liberalised it's economy in the early nineties , the the rights of showing sport were given to private TV channels . And from here on the footage of Sachin is clear and we can watch him and his sporting achievements in their full glory . 

The film touches upon the highs and lows of Sachin's career and life . The footage of his matches reminds us of the time we sat in front of our TV sets viewing them . Some matches I had seen but now had forgotten . But the memories of those games were brought to life again . The joy of seeing India winning and the disappointment of seeing it losing . And once again the batting of the master....the flash of the bat and the ball racing to the boundary . The crowd shouting 'Sachin Sachin'...sheer goosebumps....

The film also touches on what we had not seen . It gives Tendulkar's personal perspective on what happened , how he felt about things . Greg Chappel ( the Australian coach of the Indian cricket team in 2007 world cup ) is the one Tendulkar seems to be most critical about . Sachin's rivalry with Azharuddin over captaincy is noted briefly . Sachin's disappointment over his removal from captaincy , and his grief over his father's death are the points where he was really low . Also when he was suffering from tennis elbow . But the lowest point in Indian cricket is something that Sachin claims to have no proof about---the match fixing scandal . 

The highs---the amazing batting he did against Australia at Sharjah in 1998 , the march winning effort against Pakistan in the 2003 world cup . Sachin felt joy in other's achievements too , like when Venkatesh Prasad gave a fitting answer to Amir Sohail in the semifinal of the 1996 world cup and Rahul Dravid and V V S Laxman crafted a great partnership to win against Australia . Sachin's personal rival from Australia---leg spinner Shane Warne . 

The film shows his personal life , and showcases just how much family is important to an individual's success . And Sachin got co operation from his family in bountiful amounts . His parents , his brother and his relatives stood with him in all times and situations . His wife Anjali gave up her career as doctor for his sake . Unfortunately his childhood friend Vinod Kambli probably did not get such support from his family and did not get such a good upbringing and his career drifted into nothingness , though that is not shown in the film . In fact the film ignores Kambli except in the very early stages , for today Sachin and Kambli are no longer friends . 

The one dream of Sachin was to hold the world cup in his hands , but it took a long time to come . That dream was thwarted in 1996 , when India lost the semi final against Sri Lanka . Again it was thwarted in the final in 2003 , a match which Sachin calls the most important of his life . Finally it was achieved in 2011 , when the team took a victory parade with Sachin aloft their shoulders . The footage of all is to be savoured in the film . 

Sachin's retirement speech forms an emotional ending to the film . He has now imposed his son Arjun with the ambition of playing cricket . Other than this imposition , Sachin has been a good father to his children . But it is his wife Anjali who is the anchor of his life . The other anchors are his mother , and God---for Sachin is a religious person whose religiosity has been brought out in the film . His personal cricket kit has photos of Sathya Sai baba . 

Above all however Sachin claims to be a patriot . The nation's flag makes it's appearance on several occasions in the movie , and Sachin says that he gets goosebumps when listening to the national anthem . 'Vande mataram' makes it's appearance in the film , and the film's best song is 'Hind meri jind' . 

Outside sports , what keeps Sachin ticking is friends and music and cars . And all these factors come together to keep the film ticking . Sachin's personal commentary , his wife's views , his friends' talk---all these factors give real insight into his celebrated life . Sachin says that he has lived a great life . And lucky is my generation to have watched him on TV in our life . 

Verdict---Good . 

Four stars .

ashdoc

Posts : 2256
Join date : 2011-05-04

Back to top Go down

Back to top

- Similar topics

 
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum