'Sachin: A Billion Dreams' turns 4: Homage to cricketing God
Sachin Tendulkar's incredible journey is nothing short of a fairytale. His contribution to cricket is unparalleled, and it was chronicled in the tear-jerking biopic, Sachin: A Billion Dreams. It chronicles the life of a young Mumbai boy, who becomes India's most celebrated sportsperson, thanks to his sheer passion. On its fourth anniversary, let's relive why he will always be considered the 'God of cricket.'
This documentary film has been helmed by British director James Erskine, instead of an Indian. Producer Ravi Bhagchandka revealed why. "Sachin's aura is very huge in India, and I wanted someone to look at him objectively and not as a fan," he highlighted. But since it didn't capture anything controversial, the earnings were not that impressive. Its lifetime collection stood at Rs. 50.89 crore.
The documentary marked Sachin's acting debut, and he did this for free. "The film is produced by Sachin's friend Ravi. He couldn't dream of charging any money from Ravi," a source said. Did you know the title of the biopic was chosen by fans through a contest on Twitter? It was conducted by Sachin himself, who personally took interest in unveiling the teaser too.
For highlighting the most important aspects of his journey, makers had to view 10,000 hours of footage. This included everything, from his iconic matches to personal hurdles, and shouldering the hopes of a billion people. "It's just not my side. There are things that the audience doesn't know about me yet. I've spoken about the highs and lows of my life," Sachin had shared.
AR Rahman had composed the music for the movie, which was declared tax-free in many states. Also, about 3,000 kids were auditioned for the role of a young Sachin. Remember that scene where Dire Straits' Sultans of Swing was playing, when the cricketer was meeting Shane Warne? Sachin is a big fan of that band, a fact that was captured brilliantly in this film.
After watching this documentary, MS Dhoni had revealed what was missing in his own biopic. "One thing to die for in the movie is the family videos. That's something that I miss. I don't have a lot of family videos. There are quite a few videos where paaji is playing with his kids, moments with Anjali bhabhi, parents, and all of that," he shared.
