The 'reclusive' Tendulkar
Little is known about an important person behind Sachin Tendulkar's success, because the man himself, Ajit Tendulkar, has always kept a low profile
The print advertisement was shot in a studio, the film in an old bungalow in Vile Parle East, a predominantly Maharashtrian locality. “We wanted something quaint [for the interiors],” says Mannan. “We wanted it to be a representation of the world Ajit comes from—books, wood [furniture], chai, and since it’s Bombay, we wanted rain.” Ajit is shown making tea (no milk), standing in a balcony and stretching his left hand out into the downpour. He reads from Pavsaala (Monsoon), brother Nitin’s book of poems inspired by rain. Later he sits down before a computer, scans newspaper clips of Sachin’s exploits, and jabs at the keyboard. ‘1971 was a remarkable year for Indian cricket,’ he types. And leaning back into the chair, smiles at the camera, a solitary man at last returning the gaze of the masses.
Kanishkaa Balachandran is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo