Book review | Boria Majumdar’s ‘Sachin@50’ is an effusive celebration of the maestro, not a critical biography

This book is abundant with anecdotes highlighting that Tendulkar has a big heart. Cricketer-turned-Rajya Sabha MP Harbhajan Singh, fondly remembers how his friendship with Tendulkar deepened after an India versus Australia series in 2001. Impressed with Singh’s performance, Tendulkar asked him, “Bhajji kya chahiye tujhe (Tell me, Bhajji, what do you want?)” Singh said, “Paaji, I love your Adidas bowling spikes. Can you get me a pair?” Tendulkar replied, “Bas itni si baat (That’s all you want?)” Within a week, Singh was approached by an Adidas representative, and he got the spikes he used for three years.

Ramakant Achrekar, the coach who played a major role in Tendulkar’s journey from cricketer to legend, says, “While he (Sachin) discusses cricket, he spends a lot of time enquiring about my health. Even when he is on tour, he calls and speaks to my daughter Kalpana to stay updated. When they are in Mumbai, he and Anjali visit me often.” Achrekar passed away in 2019. The conversation with him, which is featured in this book, occurred in March 2013.

The strength of this book lies in showing readers what Tendulkar is like in his fiercely guarded personal life, in addition to his professional achievements. His wife, Anjali, who is a paediatrician, says, “Irrespective of someone’s position in society, he treats everyone the same. Whoever comes to our home is our guest — and they will be treated with the same warmth.” They have known each other for 33 years. Dr Aparna Santhanam recalls how her best friend Anjali “fell dramatically in love” with the young curly-haired and shy Tendulkar who “was not just smitten with Anjali but was nervous about meeting her friends.” She sheds light on several aspects of Tendulkar as a prankster, mimic, friend, vada pav lover, and host.

Tendulkar’s humility, which is a recurring theme in this book, is, perhaps, best described by adman Prahlad Kakkar who stayed in the same building as Tendulkar and also worked with him on commercials, including the “Sachin Ala Re” campaign for Pepsi. “He never behaved like a star. He behaved as if he was lucky to achieve the things he did…Sachin’s only condition going for ad shoots was that it should never come across that he was bigger than the game.”

This book will also strike a chord with readers who are not cricket enthusiasts but are curious about why Tendulkar gets all the adulation that comes his way, not only for sports but also his conduct off the pitch. Tennis champion Sania Mirza calls him “one of the kindest sportsmen” that she knows. The first time she met him was at a hospital in Hyderabad for an event honouring people from the medical fraternity. Mirza and Tendulkar were both invited as guests. Mirza recalls what Tendulkar told the doctors: “My job of playing cricket is of very little significance compared to yours. I have the luxury of committing some errors in my field, but you are far more important and cannot afford to make a mistake in your job.”

Apart from Mirza, this book features many sportspersons from outside the world of cricket — Abhinav Bindra, Pullela Gopichand, Vishwanathan Anand, Yohan Blake, Mansi Joshi, Deepa Malik and Bhavina Patel. After Malik won the Paralympic silver medal for India, Tendulkar called her and all the Paralympic medal winners to Mumbai for a grand felicitation. The following year, when she and Tendulkar were both invited for the opening of a sports museum in Kolkata, the organisers asked Tendulkar to cut the ceremonial ribbon but he insisted that Malik do the honours. He took the pair of scissors given to him and passed them on to Malik. She says, “In a moment, he had brought the world of able-bodied and para-sport together. He demolished every barrier that exists and ended every form of discrimination.”

The book is packed with several such heartwarming stories, and is a delight to read.