James Erskine’s upcoming Sachin: A Billion Dreams might just offer a fresh perspective on both the man and the cricketer
Murali K Menon (MUMBAI MIRROR; May 14, 2017)

I always thought Brian Lara was the better batsman, but I might want to watch Sachin: A Billion Dreams. Prime among the reasons is that the docu-feature, which releases May 26, has been directed by James Erskine. Erskine’s previous films include Battle of the Sexes (on the match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs in 1973) and Shooting for Socrates, a heartwarming comedy about the Northern Ireland football team taking on Socrates’ Brazilians, the best side never to win the World Cup, bang in the middle of the tumultuous 1980s. If that’s not enough, there’s also never-before-seen footage from Tendulkar’s debut series against Pakistan, which has acquired near mythical status among cricket fans. “It’s also about certain things cricket lovers don’t know about. They know all about my cricket, but the movie’s about what it was like to be Sachin Tendulkar, both when the going was good and when we were in the doldrums,” says the man himself.

He is dressed in faded denims, a dark red shirt and stylish burgundy derbies, and sunlight glints off his expensive timepiece. As always, he is unfailingly polite and meticulously rehearsed. Thankfully, he still has that disarming laugh, and he employs it as he answers a query about what it is like to watch a movie about oneself. “When Ravi (Bhagchandka, producer and fanboy) first got in touch — this was about two years before I retired — my first response was ‘no way’. The other day when I watched the movie, I thought, ‘Wow! All of this seems so unreal’, and it was fitting that, in a way, it culminated with India winning the World Cup. That was something I had to wait 22 years for.”

Erskine has used different mediums in an effort to say and show something new about a man who has been — and still is — relentlessly covered by the media. There’s dramatisation, home videos, dinner with the Tendulkars, what Sachin’s like with his closest friends... “What do I do when I’m on holiday, some intimate moments with my family…” The documentary also has songs, and Tendulkar is quick to add that he has not sung them.

Erskine and co. spent months chasing the footage of his first Test series — there are bits of it floating on YouTube and the originals no longer exist — they found some of it in the US, Australia and elsewhere. The film will also have Tendulkar speaking about match-fixing, claims Erskine. “About what his mental state was like when news about the match-fixing scandal broke.”

That’s nice to know, and probably as important a reason as any to watch S:BD. In any case, irrespective of how the film turns out, one can safely expect it to be a huge improvement over Tendulkar’s autobiography, which was the literary equivalent of a tsetse fly.

BOMBAY TIMES (February 12, 2016)

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 23, 2015)

Mirror was the first to report (January 20) that producer Ravi Bhagchandka has been following Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar with a camera for the last 20 months for a docu-feature on the cricket legend's personal and professional life. Here's the first still from the first schedule of the yet-un titled film which has the Little Master proudly displaying his cricketing kit and collection of bats.

Besides Sachin, the film will also feature a younger actor who will be seen in the flashback sequences and will incorporate archival and real-life footage.

"The film is a not a biopic," asserts the producer who has spent the last three days filming inside Sachin's home. "We are filming and editing simultaneously as we're looking to release the film in 2016. And Sachin has been extremely candid. Now I know what he does when he wakes up in the morning, what goes on in his mind the night before a crucial match and many other lesser known facts about the legend."

The film is being directed by James Erskine, a London-based writer, director and producer who was nominated for an Emmy Award in Outstanding Non-Fiction Special category for his 2010 sports documentary, One Night in Turin, which showcased the world of football before the Premier Leagues and multi-million-pound star salaries. "James has never worked in an Indian film before so he'll bring a new perspective to it. We'll also have champions from different sports talking about the Little Master along with Bollywood and Hollywood personalities," says Ravi, pointing out that docu-features on pop icon Michael Jackson, This Is It, and Brazilian motor-racing champion, Aryton Senna, Senna, have been globally released in theatres before. "But this is the first time an Asian is making it to the list," he concludes.

Sanyukta Iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 20, 2015)

Ravi Bhagchandka has been following Sachin Tendulkar with a camera for the last 20 months and the cricketer has no complaints. From filming his charity matches in Mumbai to his private conversations with wife Anjali in London, the normally shy cricketer hasn't drawn any lakshman rekhas when it comes to the docu-feature on his life.

"Sachin has even let us shoot inside his house, film certain 'rituals' that he performs at night before every match," says the film's producer Ravi, promising a visually interesting film.

James Erskine, a London-based, writer, director and producer, has been roped in to helm the still untitled film. "Taking an Indian director would have meant handing the reins over to someone who grew up watching Sachin bat. My film is a Brit's take on Sachin's life," says Ravi.

James was nominated for an Emmy Award in Outstanding Non-Fiction Special category for his 2010 sports documentary, One Night in Turin, which showcased the world of football before the Premiere Leagues and the multi-million pound star salaries. The film was narrated by Hollywood star Gary Oldman and James has similar plans for the cricket film. "We've filmed Hollywood stars, athletes from outside the field of cricket and celebrities from different sport," reveals Ravi refusing to divulge names.

The director first met Sachin when he was filming the Ashes in 2011. "When I approached him, he said that he was destined to do this film and immediately came on board," reminisces Ravi, adding that his film will have a worldwide release. "It will be in 70mm, with an original background score. What This Is It was for Michael Jackson our film is for Sachin."

James and Ravi plan to spend 2015 editing 140 hours of footage while simultaneously trailing Sachin across cities. It is unlikely they will be able to promote the film during the 2015 World Cup, let alone release it. "It is a high-pressure film and we are focussed on a global release. I have not set a deadline, nor has Sachin," he asserts.

He is optimistic of getting archival footage and plans to replace flashbacks with freshly-shot footage of the same situation with a 41-year old Sachin reacting to what he did at that time. "He won't be acting, he'll just do what he did years ago. We'll see where he was hiding while the world chased him for 26 years," Ravi smiles.

BOMBAY TIMES (January 14, 2015)