Cricketers and their Bollywood equivalents

#2 Mitchell Johnson and Naseeruddin Shah

Australia’s Beast

Although Mitchell Johnson shares his birthday with Shah Rukh Khan, his story is neither as sought-after nor as sensational as the publicly-adored actor. The Queenslander is a shy person off the pitch, but at 34, he continues to deliver goods at 155 kph and is currently positioned at No.6 in Test rankings and No. 7 in ODI rankings.

The fact that Johnson is more successful in the longest format of the game establishes the kind of grit he possesses besides his talent. His propensity to meander into waywardness may seem annoying once in a while, but he has always managed to garner critical acclaim with comebacks that speak of extraordinariness and self-belief.

If parallel cinema was Test cricket, Naseeruddin Shah would be Mitchell Johnson. Adorned with three National Film Awards, the Padma Shri and the Padma Bhushan among numerous others, Shah is a legend in his own right in Indian cinema.

The best part, however, is that his achievements are not limited to parallel films alone. Shah is an equally revered actor in mainstream cinema and considered as one of the greatest stage actors in the country.

For every ‘Iqbal’, he had a ‘Mirch Masala’ and for every ‘A Wednesday’, he had ‘The Dirty Picture’. As the impeccable Jack of all trades, he continues to mesmerize thousands by his diverse avatars, much like Johnson with or without the moustache.

The Indian cinema’s living legend