Sachin Tendulkar gets extremely emotional about his late father, Ramesh Tendulkar

One of the greatest batsmen of all time, Sachin Tendulkar is three days away from showcasing to the world, his personal and professional journey on the big screen. Sachin: A Billion Dreams, a biographical film written and directed by James Erskine, will release worldwide on 26^th of May.

There is a shot in the movie when Mr. Ramesh Tendulkar speaks about Sachin. That shot is the only clip that exists of his father, on film. Sportskeeda was invited for a 30-minute special screening of the movie in Mumbai, after which Sachin revealed something that his father shared with him, which helped him in the long run.

“When I started playing for India, my father had his own way of putting things. He told me, everything in life is temporary. Nobody knew my career would go on for 24 years. Plenty has happened and plenty more will happen after my cricketing days”, he said post the screening.

Tendulkar tasted success at an age when most kids are finishing up school and entering college. Distraction was merely a step away. More than cricketing aspects, Sachin suggested that certain essential human values instilled by his father, helped him focus on the game and become a better human being. The only time the cricketing legend expresses his emotions is when he begins to speak fondly about his late father, who died of a heart attack at the age of 69.

“It’s easy to get carried away, I can understand, I was only 16 and so many things happened. My final destination was playing for India but he (father) said the journey as such begun, you’ve just opened the door. Now people will see what you will do. He said try and be a nice person and respect what you’ve been given and worship that”, he revealed.

From day one, Tendulkar’s father ensured that his feet remained firmly perched on the ground, irrespective of his form. Something which thoroughly reflects in the manner in which he greets his peers and fans. Rarely has he ever expressed frustration and anger in his game.

“My father always said, try and be a nice human being, even after your cricketing career, people will like you. People should not say when is he leaving the room? Rather they should wonder how long can you stay? That is only because of the person that you are”, he said.

Two legends – A.R.Rahman and Sachin Tendulkar

The music for this movie has been composed by the Mozart of Madras – A.R.Rahman who made sure he included one of Sachin’s favourite bands as part of the background score. Tendulkar though revealed that he stayed completely out of the way in the music making process.

“What does one tell A.R.Rahman? It’s like him telling me how to bat. I don’t want to interfere in his profession because he’s the boss. We’ve included music from Dire Straits (a British rock band). For the final version, I went to his studio in Powai and we heard the album together. I think the lyrics are really nice.”

Making the film was far from easy for Tendulkar – who’s extremely reserved and private as a person. The legend has never consciously thrust himself into the public eye. But the 30-minute preview that Sportskeeda got to witness had some extremely private moments, which was a rather pleasant surprise.

“It boils down to the comfort level. I am a private person and so is my family. My wife didn’t want to come on a particular TV programme because she can move wherever she wants. I said you’re already part of the movie, now that’s much bigger so be prepared for that”, he signed off.