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Rahul Bose has emerged as the lone star who has not only carved an illustrious path in Indian cinema but has also championed the true sport of rugby, which he passionately describes as poetry.
In an exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda, veteran actor Rahul Bose discussed his journey in rugby, how he managed both films and sports simultaneously, his early days as the president of Rugby India. He also weighed in on the challenges in promoting a sport and his views on how a sports federation should operate.
Rahul Bose's journey into the world of sports and entertainment began with a twist of fate. As a young and talented cricketer in his formative schooling years, Rahul had set his sights on a career in the sport. However, a crucial realization dawned upon him as he says he wasn't growing tall enough to pursue his career as a fast bowler.
"I started playing rugby for all the wrong reasons. I was a very good cricketer and I was not growing taller. I used to open the bowling for school and I wasn't growing taller. So I knew that I didn't have much of a career as a bowler," he recalls.
At this juncture, Rahul found himself at Cathedral and John Connan School in Mumbai, one of the few institutions in India that embraced the sport of rugby. Adding an intriguing layer to his newfound interest was the overwhelming support from the girls in his school who seemed drawn to the sport's primal allure.
“And I couldn't believe you could play a sport where it was OK to get dirty and as a 14-year-old, all you have is aggression. I couldn't even believe how popular this game was with the girls in our school. The girls loved to see the boys play rugby because of some primal attraction. I don't know what it was. Violence and getting dirty. That made me attracted to the game," Bose explains.
While initially drawn to rugby for its rough and tumble nature, it was only when Bose started taking the sport seriously and professionally that he uncovered its true beauty. Rugby, he explains, possesses a poetry, rhythm, and flow that distinguishes it from other sports. He states:
“And it's only when I began to play rugby seriously, I aware of the poetry and the music and the rhythm and the flow of the game. In my opinion, this game has the greatest rhythm. This game has the best flow.
"All games have a flow. But the rhythm of rugby for me was the most attractive. The poetry, the rhythm, the ebb and the fall and the attrition, and then the ability to break through. I just found it so exciting. Till today, I was watching the World Cup matches. And still today, there's such a thrill to this game. It builds, it builds, it builds.”
In rugby, moving forward is impossible without going together as a team. This invaluable lesson from the rugby pitch carries over into life itself, emphasizing the significance of collective effort in achieving common goals. It's a lesson that Bose believes is often forgotten, as human nature tends to veer towards individualism.
“And of course, with that all the foundational lessons that rugby has taught me in my life. In rugby, you cannot move forward unless you go together. There is no solo play in rugby. If you try and play this game alone, you'll end up in hospital."
Bose continued:
"So to subserve you, to submerge your ego, and in rugby to play with people is such a great lesson in life that you can only move forward if you take people with you. I often say that rugby taught me more than my parents have taught me about life. So that's how close this game is to my soul.”
"Cinema and Rugby don't go together" - Rahul Bose on the unique balancing act between both worlds
What truly sets Rahul Bose apart is his unique position as the only Indian actor who represented his country in rugby. Balancing these two seemingly disparate careers was no small feat.
As Rahul admits, in the world of cinema, an actor's face is their fortune, and physical injuries can be career-defining setbacks. Bose says:
"Cinema and Rugby don't go together because your face is your fortune in cinema. In the sense, that you can't have a smashed-up face, so I refuse to let either go. And so, when I was playing for India, 1998 to 2009, those were the peak years of my career as a leading actor.
“I would look at the international calendar, the international rugby calendar and look and see when our games were. And I would mark four weeks or five weeks for the camp before the games, a week for the games or 10 days, and then maybe a couple of weeks to heal after that."
Bose's solution to this conundrum was careful planning and steadfast commitment to both of his passions. He said would align his movie projects with the international rugby calendar.
"So the films would have to be planned around the international rugby calendar. So that's how I used to work it out. Sometimes, films got postponed. Sometimes, I was injured. I've done a movie with a broken ankle. No one saw it because it was never there in the shot. I've done two films with broken noses or heavy makeup. It gets interesting too. ”
"To win, you need the best players and the best practices in the world" - Rahul Bose articulates his vision for the sport
Under Rahul Bose's leadership, Indian rugby has found itself in the spotlight, with a notable surge in talented players proudly representing the nation as they gear up for the Asian Games in 2023.
Before assuming the role of president, Bose spent over a year on the board of Rugby India, during which he immersed himself in understanding the nuances of building a successful sports federation. He explained:
“I think that I served on the board for a year before I became president, maybe more than a year. And I used that year to really understand what would go into building a successful architecture of a sport. What is it that is needed? What is it that once you install that framework, nobody will be able to harm the sport? And I began to make certain ideas, write down certain ideas of how a federation ideally should be should be run.”
Rahul Bose clarifies the primary purpose of a sports federation: to win. While empowerment and societal impact are essential byproducts, victory is the driving force behind any federation's existence.
“A federation exists to win. Nobody's interested in a sport or a federation that doesn't win. You exist to win. So that is the elephant in the room nobody talks about.
"So once you understand that a federation is there to win, first, then you begin to say, okay, to win, what do you need? And you start working yourself down the pyramid. To win, you need the best players and best practices in the world."
Bose and his team's approach to running Rugby India centers around one crucial question: "If I was a player, would I want this?" This player-centric perspective guides their decisions, ensuring that every action benefits the sport and its athletes. He stresses:
“If I was a player, would I want this? If I was a player, would I want this sponsorship or not? If I was a player, would I want the field to be watered or not? If I was a player, are these jerseys good enough or not? If I was a player, do we need an international psychologist? And in that way, you just have to think of what will ultimately be good for the sport."
Rahul Bose has been committed to nurturing rugby in India, especially among youngsters from less privileged backgrounds. Rugby India has outlined concrete strategies that prioritize grassroots development and the creation of a player-focused high-performance ecosystem.
