One of the fastest bowlers in the world, former cricketer Brett Lee is back on field. This time, the pitch happens to be the camera. His debut film UnIndian, sees him being bowled over by an Indian maiden, Tannishtha Chatterjee. From unsettling the best batsmen in the world to being unnerved by filmi lovemaking scenes -the noice guy (read nice) talks about his second innings, bond with India, an Aussie slang every Indian guy should know and much more. His replies come as quick as his deliveries, reinforcing the fact that pace will always be synonymous with his name... be it cricket or movie promotions.

How different is it for you to discuss films instead of cricket for a change?
It's nice and refreshing. I love it.

What is scarier? Facing the camera or facing a hard-hitting batsman?
Both, when you grow up playing cricket you get used to the challenges of the sport. A film, on the contrary, is me trying to do something different. Movies are the second innings of my career.

Despite this being your first film, Tannishtha says you weren't nervous at all.
I think she was just being nice. Of course, I was nervous. I think if you are not nervous before a big game or shooting for a film, then you are probably not doing it right. Working with her taught me a lot. Also, I wasn't unprepared. I learnt a bit of acting from a guy who had worked with Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett before doing this film. We have some great actors in Australia.

Did you take a while to give your nod to this project, considering you have a certain image as a former cricketer?
I definitely did. I had a lot of Bollywood offers before but I wasn't ready. I was still playing cricket and trying to be the best at it. I had done ad commercials with Anupam Sharma (director of UnIndian) a long time ago. When Unindian was offered to me, he said, “I'd like you to be the lead actor in this film.“ I was like “What!“ He said, “I know you can do it.“ I trusted him and his judgement. The fact that this is an Australian film with a Bollywood flavour and a beautiful message convinced me to do it. The film tries to poke fun at two different cultures and respectfully at that, without crossing the line. We tend to take ourselves way too seriously sometimes.

Have your friends and family seen the film? What was their reaction?
A lot of my cricketer friend like Adam Gilchrist and Shane Watson have seen the film and loved it. I'd like Preity Zinta and Shah Rukh Khan to watch it and let me know what they think. My wife liked it too. She is very proud of me.

Were you nervous while shooting the lovemaking scenes?
I did wonder what my wife would feel about them, but she was fine. Of course, I was nervous but we had a clear understanding. It was shot tastefully in a controlled environment. Tannishtha has obviously done it in many films and it was my debut (smiles) but it was fine.

You made your Test debut 17 years ago (1999) and you still look the same.
I try to stay fit. Being kind keeps you healthy too.

Are you looking at films as a serious career option or is this just a one-off thing?
If people like my character, Will, and like watching me on screen, then I would like to do more films.

You've been coming to India for years and consider it to be your second home. What are the dos and don'ts that you follow here?
While shopping, I don't spend too much time in the mall, otherwise I know I can't get out. Also, I am used to being called a gora (laughs). What many people don't know is that I can understand a bit of Hindi.

Do you still experience any culture shock when you visit India?
Nothing really shocks me about India because I know the culture so well. I think festivals like Holi are fascinating. To see grown-ups throwing colour at each other is fun. Everyone tends to behave like kids on this day.

You play an Aussie teacher in the film. Any popular Aussie slang that guys here should know?
In the film, there are a lot of Indian guys and girls speaking the Australian slang and it's great fun. Speaking of slangs, guess the guys should know what's 'Sheila'. It's slang for a chick... err sundar ladki (laughs).

Do you think you have a bigger fan following in India, then back in Australia?
Absolutely. There are some 23 million people in Australia; you've got 29 million, right here in Mumbai! You do the math.

Would you like your son to be a cricketer like you or anything he likes to be?
He loves sports but he can do whatever he wants to do. I will give him every opportunity to fulfill his dreams. Through schooling or sport, I will always make sure that I am a good father and try to give him the best.

Do you watch Bollywood films?
Sometimes I try to watch what's going on. They are dramatic and have a lot of colour. My favourite Bollywood actors are Preity Zinta and Shah Rukh Khan but they are my friends too. I have played for their respective teams in the IPL, for six years combined.

What's the common factor that binds India and Australia?
Humour. We love to laugh.

If you were given a chance to bowl to Sachin Tendulkar or Virat Kohli, who would you choose and why?
If given a choice between Sachin and Virat, I would probably bowl to Sachin because he hasn't been playing for a few years now (laughs).

For a long time, Bollywood films were more about good versus evil. Villains played an important part in ensuring that the hero's goodness shines through. While a majority of contemporary subjects don't have much scope for the hero's nemesis, one name that comes to mind when you think of 'Bad Man' is Gulshan Grover. The veteran actor, who was known for his various get-ups, became synonymous with the term after his character Kesariya Vilayati repeated those words in Ram Lakhan (1989). He's also one of our first actors to make a successful transition into Hollywood as he bagged pivotal parts in films like Beeper, Blind Ambition, Desperate Endeavours and Prisoners Of The Sun. Of late, he has also acted in Iranian, Malaysian and Canadian films. As he gears up for the release of UnIndian, an Indo-Aussie venture, we catch up with the actor. Excerpts...

UnIndian is former fast bowler Brett Lee's Bollywood debut. What is your role in this romance between an Indian single mother and an Aussie teacher?
Brett is the first non-Indian actor to not only do Bollywood-style singing and dancing, but also perform many entertaining and romantic scenes like our heroes. All I can say is that everything changes when my character arrives on screen. It's difficult to judge if I'm the good guy or bad guy. I give a new dimension to the story.

Previously, cricketers like Sandeep Patil too ventured into movies but didn't succeed. What's your take on an Aussie cricketer acting in a Hindi film?
Earlier, sportsmen made their onscreen debuts when they were riding high on their popularity. Once, I was supposed to shoot with Mahendra Singh Dhoni after UnIndian's schedule in Sydney and he told me that Brett is an entertainer in the dressing room and on field as well. Brett was open to understanding how the director wanted him to play the role. He was ready to learn and didn't have an 'I-know-it-all' attitude. When you watch the film, you'll love him as an actor.

Even though you've stopped portraying villainous roles, you're still synonymous with the moniker Bad Man.
Today, the so-called iconic baddies of Indian cinema have disappeared. Now, stories have become more realistic. When a subject has an interesting villain, filmmakers ideate on how to make it newsworthy and cast someone unusual for that role.

Every time you played a negative role, you sported a distinct look. Where did that inspiration come from?
It came from the acting school where Anil Kapoor and Mazhar Khan were my batchmates. Everyday, we would play different characters. If you were same as the day before, the entire class laughed at you. I watched a lot of movies and noticed that despite diverse roles, actors looked the same in each of their films. Initially, I put in a lot of effort in the external aspect of the character. It was only after achieving stardom that I could sit with the director and add my own nuances to the roles. Most of the inspiration came from observing real life, and Pran saab has been my biggest inspiration.

Why did you switch to playing positive characters?
I think my exposure to the West helped me a lot. Also, movies like I Am Kalam showed that I was ready to adapt and I wasn't resting on my past laurels. When I was nominated for the National Award, the chairperson of the jury, J P Dutta told me, 'It was very difficult to not give you the award.' Even when I did a film like Gangster, where I play the loving Godfather of the hero and yet kill him, I wasn't playing a one-dimensional role. After spending time in the West, people thought I don't live here anymore and am not interested in working in India. I had to restart because they felt 'Yeh toh Hollywood chala gaya'. I had my talent and brand to begin my new innings with a different style of acting. I was ready to show them the new me.

You're one of the first mainstream actors to venture into Hollywood, despite facing cynicism on your home turf. Today, actors like Irrfan, Priyanka Chopra and Deepika Padukone are bagging prominent parts in Hollywood films.What are your views on this?
Earlier, it wasn't accepted. People ridiculed me by saying, “There are so many better actors in Hollywood. How can Gulshan Grover get work there?“ Moreover, the attitude in the West was that if you want to work there, you have to live there and always be available for auditions as they doubted our professionalism. I continuously worked on improving the image of our artistes and said that if actors like Hugh Grant could work in Hollywood while living in England, why should it be different for us. I'd carry a suitcase of VHS cassettes to show them our films, even though they were reluctant to watch our movies with songs and without subtitles. Today, when I see Irrfan, Priyanka and Deepika working in the West, I feel proud that we have made a place for ourselves in the global arena.

Having done so many films in India and internationally, what motivates you today?
I still have so much to learn. As an actor, I'm continuously hungry to achieve more.

Tannishtha Chatterjee who plays Australian cricketer Brett Lee's love interest in Unindian, on her experience:

After the Australian release, Unindian now opens in India. Your thoughts...
The film is releasing this Friday. I am happy that Ranjit Thakur (Krian Pictures) took the film to release in India. It is a light-hearted film. We had a lot of fun making it, I hope people like it too. I'm waiting for August 19 now.

What did you think of Brett Lee being cast in Unindian?
When our director Mr Anupam Sharma told me that he is casting Brett Lee as the lead, I asked him “Is he an Australian actor I don't know of?“ He asked me “You don't watch cricket? What kind of Indian are you? And I said to him, “Oh, you mean THE Brett Lee? Really? That sounds cool“.

We see you more in international projects than in typical Hindi films. Is it a conscious decision?
I have had an eclectic upbringing. I fit in multicultural set-ups naturally so doing different films and working with talents from across the globe seemed seamless. But I am a fan of many regular masala films as well.

Do you think it is important to be light-skinned to be successful in Hindi Film Industry? Have you faced racism in your work?
I have never faced racism anywhere. I think I work with evolved artists where there is immense mutual respect. I have not really worked in the regular Hindi film industry but I know that there are many dusky actresses who have been very successful in Bollywood so I guess the industry is pretty open.

You travel to film festivals abroad, more actors are doing international projects.Are we getting global recognition as Indian artists?
World cities have people from all cultures and countries living there. Indians are travelling much more than they used to. In a globalised world, culture travels. I go to small towns in Germany, South America where locals tell me about Bollywood films. Indian artists have always been honoured internationally. Pandit Ravi Shankar had become a star back in the 60s. Satyajit Ray has been celebrated internationally for decades now.

How was it working with Brett Lee?
Fabulous! A treat. What I cherish the most about working with Brett is getting to know him as a person. He is a beautiful human being above everything else.

Known for essaying varied roles, Tannishtha Chatterjee, now stars alongside speedster Brett Lee in Anupam Sharma's UnIndian, where she plays Meera, a single mother based in Australia. Speaking about what drew her to the film, she says, “UnIndian is a story about an Australian guy (Brett Lee) and an Indian girl falling in love. The cultural differences are not as clichéd as they used to be. Meera has a high-flying marketing job. She is educated, confident and independent. She is not this poor little desi damsel in distress, who is being saved by the white guy.“

The film's theme is universal and Tannishtha is all praises for her costar Brett, who she thinks is charming and humourous. Speaking of cultural diversity and the film, we ask if she has ever dated a firang in real life and how did that go down with her family? The actress nodded in affirmative, saying, “I have dated firangs in the past and they have come home, mingled with my family. My parents are cool about it. The first time I had alcohol, it was with my folks. I have been lucky to have ultra liberal, secular parents.“

UnIndian, produced by Krian Pictures, releases August 19.

Indian-origin Australian film maker Anupam Sharma who has known cricketer-entrepreneur Brett Lee for over a decade describes him as a “hungry artist who is always dying to perform“. So when Sharma presented Lee with the script of his debut production, a Sydney-based romcom called UnIndian, Lee instantly agreed to do it. The film follows Lee's Will, a teacher, as he falls for a divorced single-mom who is constantly pestered to marry “a nice Indian man“.

The 39-year-old bowler has previously recorded a single with Asha Bhosle in 2007 titled “You're The One For Me“ and also played himself in the 2009 Hindi film, Victory. “He was on a flight when he read the script and laughed so hard that the airhostesses wondered what he was up to. I knew I'd convince him. I was more worried about Tannishtha Chatterjee who is renowned internationally and is such a talented actress. Luckily, she loved the script and even came on-board as a dialogue and script-writer. Before it rolled, the film was announced by the Aussie Prime Minister, Tony Abbott, along with cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar, during his Mumbai visit in September, 2014. In the last two years, the film has travelled to the Cannes Film Festival and the Montreal World Film Festival, among others, before opening in Australia in 2015.

Krian Pictures' Ranjit Thakur was on a flight when he watched the film and rang Sharma up as soon as he landed. “He asked me if we have released it in India when I told him that we had been waiting for over six months to find the right distributors. Now, we are set to open in 300 Indian cinemas on August 19,“ Sharma informed Mirror. The film will simultaneously release in the Middle East and North America.

However, while the film is inching towards its release in India, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC), led by Censor chief Pahlaj Nihalani, has asked Sharma to cut 65 seconds of a lovemaking sequence between Lee and Tannishtha. “It is a beautiful scene where they make love for the first time. At the same time, Tannishtha's parents are watching a spiritual leader on TV speak about opening your chakras. The music escalates as the sequences set in the two different settings unfold. It is artistically shot but the Indian Censor Board wants it to be cut,“ Sharma reveals.

Surprisingly, the CBFC has taken no objection to the title, UnIndian, which is based on the popular Australian slang, “UnAustralian“. “We have been asked to only show Lee's side profile and not his back and to remove the spiritual context. That's like ripping off the film's heartbeat,“ Sharma sighs, pointing out that the film was received with an 'M' (mature) certificate in Australia and that an 'A' certificate with cuts for a romcom would mean a great loss of audience.

Censor chief Pahlaj Nihalani refused to comment on the matter.

Former Australian cricketer Brett Lee will send his Indian fans into a frenzy with his thumkas in UnIndian, his Bollywood debut. For him, India has always been a land of colour, vibe and culture. He got a first-hand experience of it all while shooting a Holi sequence for the film. The cricketer-turned-actor enthuses, “I was always fascinated by the festival of colours but when I experienced it myself, the feeling was out of the world. We played with dry colours. I ran up to each crew member and smeared them with gulaal. I've been a huge fan of Indian culture and food. We gorged on desi mithai all day while shooting this sequence.“

After impressing us with his bowling prowess on field, Australian cricketer Brett Lee is set to show his acting chops on the big screen. The pace bowler makes his Bollywood debut with UnIndian, a romcom costarring Tannishtha Chatterjee. Directed by Anupam Sharma, it charts the unlikely romance between an Indian single mother Meera (Chatterjee) and Australian teacher Will (Lee) that sends her family and the Indian expat community into a tizzy. Besides Gulshan Grover and Supriya Pathak in pivotal roles, the film also has special appearances by Australian and Indian artistes including Pallavi Sharda, Akash Khurana, Tiriel More, Tammy Bartaiya and John Howard. Actor-producer Viveck Vaswani is the senior advisor for its Indian release and distribution.

Produced by Lisa Duff, Nitika Thakur and Sharma, the movie has been funded by Australia India Film Fund & Screen Australia and is being presented by Krian Media, which creates, produces, markets and distributes content across the world. Its founder and CEO, Ranjit Thakur, says, “UnIndian is a romcom crossover film which will be loved by the Indian audience. The humour adds great value to the story and Brett is outstanding. It is different from the regular content on screen and is just the flavour we need. We are proud to be associated with this project.“

While the trailer is out on social media, the film will release across India on August 5