'Sachin: A Billion Dreams' is a documentary-drama based on the inspiring life of the living legend Sachin Tendulkar. It is also his ‘authorised’ biopic. Since the age of 16, all of his on-field achievements have been fodder for breathless cricket commentators. His is not an untold story. Post film, audience is left with an unfulfilled wish to see the aspects of his life which were previously unknown but unfortunately (or fortunately), even the non-linear narrative of 2 hours 20 minutes does not feature anything that Sachin’s fans did not know. It is reverential, hagiographic, and has several points of disconnect, especially when it comes to his love story with wife Anjali.
The way the film has evaded the controversial aspects of his career makes one wonder about the amount of mediation by Sachin himself. Some examples include his equation with Azharuddin, Greg Chappell, custom-fee-waived Ferrari, and the match fixing scandal. It is not that some of these are not touched upon, but it is not dealt with in a manner that is fair to the audience. While these subjects are glossed over, the film is loyal fan-material for those wishing to understand his relationship with his (now late) father, his coach Mr. Achrekar in his school days, and his brother Ajit. The depictions of his personal life are moving and provide an insight into the kind of upbringing he had in his formative years as a young cricketer.
From Sachin’s childhood to the moment when he won the World Cup in 2011, in Mumbai, at the Wankhede stadium, director James Erskine leaves little room for focussing on blind spots in the legendary cricketer’s life, maybe because Sachin is “not a name, but an emotion” in India. It is actually Tendulkar himself who narrates the film and his relationship with his son Arjun looks promising to all his fans who are awaiting Arjun’s entry in the world of international cricket.
All the match clippings are available on YouTube and are easily accessible, however, watching them on a big screen with the narration by the God of Cricket himself is an experience in itself, which is mostly nostalgic for people who have witnessed the era of Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar and India’s finest winning moments ending in winning the coveted World Cup. At the end of the film, you wonder whether it is any different from a documentary, and leave the theatre with the echo of “Sachin, Sachin” in your head.
