Amitabh Bachchan’s commentary stint during the highly tom-tommed India-Pakistan World Cup match last Sunday was more than just a promotional gimmick. True, the broadcasters Star Sports had pulled off a coup by getting Bollywood’s most enduring star to agree. But for the thespian himself I believe it was a dream come true.

A week before the match I had interviewed Bachchan for the channel NewsX when he was promoting his new flick Shamitabh. Word had already been out that he would be doing commentary when the arch rivals from the sub-continent played each other.

We spoke of his unusual assignment. ``You’ll are the experts, I have to listen and learn’’ he said modestly. But he sounded excited. Like grown ups who end up owning fancy cars which they’ve played with as dinky toys when they were kids, I think Amitabh was enamoured about cricket commentary.

I couldn’t confirm this from him, but there are some tell-tale signs. Avid moviegoers might remember a scene from one of his megahits Namak Halal in which he launches into a 3-4 minute monologue of cricket commentary as it used to be on radio in the 1960s and 70s.

In this he parodied (as the script demanded) Vijay Merchant’s unique delivery style, but he did it with a verve and assurance that showed that, apart from being an actor with a wonderful sense of timing, he was also serious follower of the game.

In fact, Bachchan is a hardcore sports buff. Those who follow his tweets will know that he frequently opines on sport, especially football which he loves dearly. Chelsea is his favourite team in the Premier League. He has also been sighted often at the French Open and Wimbledon tennis championships.

With sports exploding in India through various leagues, Bachchan’s association with various disciplines too has increased dramatically. His son Abhishek now has teams in the kabbadi and football leagues, and Big B has turned up regularly to support the family franchises, surprising fans with his open display of passion.

Consummate performer that he is, Bachchan hid his nervousness well — if indeed there was any — when he came for the cricket commentary stint. Or perhaps it seemed like that because everybody else around him was even more nervous. Even Shoaib Akhtar, who can talk thirteen to the dozen, seemed tongue-tied!

What makes Bachchan a thespian is not just his acting skills and rich baritone that has inspired a million imitators, but that he is such a keen listener and quick learner. He kept his reserve for the first few minutes, soaking in the build-up that was done by Aakash and Shoaib, but gradually eased into the new role seamlessly.

Ayaz Memon

Sensibly, he kept away from professing technical expertise, leaving this to the former cricketers, pitching in with his own impressions of players, the excitement of an Indo-Pak clash et al.

The chemistry with Kapil was instant and noticeable. Clearly, Bachchan had followed the great all-rounder’s career closely. Incidentally both trace their ancestral roots to Pakistan: Bachchan’s mother Teji was born in Lyallpur while Kapil’s family came from Sahiwal (formerly Montgomery).

Bachchan made the point that he loved watching Indian and Pakistani cricketers and always wished their success. But when the two countries met, he obviously supported India.

Rahul Dravid, who replaced Kapil probed Bachchan on what kept him going even after he had achieved everything. “I see every day as a new challenge. Fortunately, an actor does not have to retire like a sportsperson,’’ he said, adding a dash of humour to philosophy.

When Dravid got into some kind of comparison between sportspersons and actors, Bachchan said that what was common between the two was that they were all performers, dependent on success and approval and therefore had to cope with high levels of insecurity.

After his stint — which lasted about an hour — ended, I asked him if he had been a keen cricketer in his youth. “I loved the game yes. How good was I? Even if I could make it to the class — not the school team — I was happy. Everybody else seemed better than me at the sport, so I had to do something else,’’ he said.

Commentary, of course, he enjoyed. And having found his calling in acting, he handled this with the same aplomb that has made him the most enduring superstar of the Indian film industry, a beloved of the masses.

But he doesn’t see himself doing this often. Professional commentators and former cricketers-turned-experts can breathe easy.

Ayaz Memon is a sports writer based in Mumbai.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2015

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