5 great cricketers whose children excelled outside sports

“Papa kehte hain bada naam karega...”

The famous Aamir Khan lip-synced lyrics from 1988 Bollywood classic, Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, roughly translates to, “My father says that someday I will become a famous personality by virtue of my work, but nobody knows where my destination lies".

Some of the world’s greatest cricketers also didn’t know that these lines would hold so true for their children, who chose their destiny, away from the world of sports and still excelled in their own unique way.

Here’s a look at some of the cricketers whose children opted to be different:

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#1 Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi’s son went the Bollywood way

Saif Ali Khan and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi (R)

The legendary cricketer, who is regarded as one of the best Indian skippers of all time, is also credited for instilling the winning attitude in his teammates much before the 1983 World Cup wonder happened. He led the country to their first overseas Test series triumph in 1968 against New Zealand and was forever etched in the memories of the fans. However, his son Saif Ali Khan chose Bollywood over cricket, mostly due to the influence of his mother, Sharmila Tagore, who was a leading actress of her generation.

A glittering career which began in the year 1993, saw him win a National Award for Best Actor and six Filmfare Awards, apart from being conferred with Padma Shri, the fourth highest Indian civilian award, in 2010.

#2 Dilip Sardesai’s son takes media industry by storm

Dilip (L) and Rajdeep Sardesai

Dilip Sardesai was the pioneer of India’s hugely successful tour of West Indies in 1970–71 when they won a Test in the den of the nation which was almost unbeatable those days. Scoring 642 runs in the series earned him the title of ‘renaissance man of Indian cricket’. On the other hand, his son Rajdeep became a prominent journalist and a household name thanks to the numerous debates he anchored, across various news channels over the years.

He won the International Broadcasters award for coverage of the 2002 Gujarat riots and the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism award in 2006. While in 2008, he was conferred with Padma Shri.

#3 Bishan Singh Bedi’s son took the filmy plunge

Angad with his dad Bishan Singh Bedi

The left-arm orthodox spinner who shines bright in the history books of Indian cricket with 266 wickets in 67 Tests, formed India's famous spin quartet – the other three being BS Chandrasekhar, Erapalli Prasanna and S Venkataraghavan. His son Angad used to play age level cricket for Delhi but then went into modelling and later featured on the silver screen.

After getting the audience’s nod for television programmes like Emotional Atyachar (Season 1) and Cook Na Kaho, Angad turned a lot of heads with his intriguing performance in the highly acclaimed courtroom drama, PINK, starring alongside a talented cast which involved Amitabh Bachchan. He will also be seen in Salman Khan starrer Tiger Zinda Hai, which is scheduled to release this December.

#4 Viv Richards’s daughter chose to be a fashion designer

Masaba Gupta with her father, Sir Viv Richards

Arguably one of the best cricketers of all time, Sir Viv Richards could murder any bowler on his day. He showed the world what aggressive batting was all about. In an illustrious career which spanned over 17 years, the Antiguan smashed 35 centuries in all formats and featured in both the World Cup-winning West Indian squads.

Masaba Gupta, his daughter, wanted to become a tennis player when she was young, but then priorities changed and she ventured out for a career in fashion designing.

Masaba is recognised for her glitzy style of apparel designs which are a mix of contemporary and traditional features with modernity taking the upper hand. She is also the director of well-known Indian designer label, Satya Paul.

#5 Dilip Vengsarkar’s son exploits his knack for photography

Dilip and Nakul Vengsarkar

The Mumbai maestro was one of the pillars of Indian batting from the mid-70s to early 1990s. He made batting look easy and achieved the unique feat of scoring three consecutive centuries at Lord’s. Over 10,000 runs in international cricket made him an Indian legend. His son, Nakul inherited the aspect of artistry from his dad, which helped him become a photographer, later in his life.

Nakul, an interior designer and architect by profession began to develop an interest in photography when he was studying in Milan and then went on to organise his photography exhibitions in India.