Six cricketers who tried their hand at acting
From playing romantic leads to hardened criminals, these cricketers have tried their luck in films with varying degrees of success
Karthik Iyer
25-Jun-2020
Brett Lee starred opposite Tannishtha Chatterjee in the romantic comedy UnIndian • Getty Images
Cricketers have long made cameos in movies, usually appearing as themselves, but these six actually tried playing full roles with varying success.
Brett Lee, UnIndian
Brett Lee always had an affinity for the entertainment industry - he played guitar for the band Six & Out in the early years of his career and was in an Asha Bhosle music video in 2006. So it was not surprising when, post-retirement, he appeared in a feature film, UnIndian, in 2015. The film is a romantic comedy set in Australia that tells the story of Meera, a young Australian mother of Indian origin who, after a divorce, is being pushed by her parents to find another Indian-Australian man to settle down with. Instead, she begins dating Will, played by Lee, an accent trainer who teaches Australian English to immigrants. And, fair dinkum mate, Lee gives it a decent go. He is charming and charismatic and even holds his own in a Bollywood song and dance sequence. It is surprising that we haven't seen his million-dollar smile on the big screen again.
Brett Lee always had an affinity for the entertainment industry - he played guitar for the band Six & Out in the early years of his career and was in an Asha Bhosle music video in 2006. So it was not surprising when, post-retirement, he appeared in a feature film, UnIndian, in 2015. The film is a romantic comedy set in Australia that tells the story of Meera, a young Australian mother of Indian origin who, after a divorce, is being pushed by her parents to find another Indian-Australian man to settle down with. Instead, she begins dating Will, played by Lee, an accent trainer who teaches Australian English to immigrants. And, fair dinkum mate, Lee gives it a decent go. He is charming and charismatic and even holds his own in a Bollywood song and dance sequence. It is surprising that we haven't seen his million-dollar smile on the big screen again.
Mohsin Khan, Saathi
Former Pakistan opener Mohsin Khan has worn many caps. He played 48 Tests over a 15-year career, was appointed chief selector in 2010 and acted as interim head coach of Pakistan for a while as well. In between all that, Khan married Indian actor Reena Roy in 1983 and found moderate success as an actor himself. His most notable performance came in Mahesh Bhatt's Saathi (1991), which also starred future film stalwarts Anupam Kher and Paresh Rawal. Saathi, a crime drama, made more than INR 9.5 crore (approx US $1.3 million) at the box office, a significant amount for the time. Khan played Amar, the brother of the protagonist, Suraj. The brothers grow up in poverty and, after their father is killed by a police inspector over a stolen loaf of bread, resort to a life of crime. While Suraj gets deeply involved in the underworld, Khan's character - pure of heart and one of the only morally unambiguous characters in the film - ends up saving his brother's life.
Former Pakistan opener Mohsin Khan has worn many caps. He played 48 Tests over a 15-year career, was appointed chief selector in 2010 and acted as interim head coach of Pakistan for a while as well. In between all that, Khan married Indian actor Reena Roy in 1983 and found moderate success as an actor himself. His most notable performance came in Mahesh Bhatt's Saathi (1991), which also starred future film stalwarts Anupam Kher and Paresh Rawal. Saathi, a crime drama, made more than INR 9.5 crore (approx US $1.3 million) at the box office, a significant amount for the time. Khan played Amar, the brother of the protagonist, Suraj. The brothers grow up in poverty and, after their father is killed by a police inspector over a stolen loaf of bread, resort to a life of crime. While Suraj gets deeply involved in the underworld, Khan's character - pure of heart and one of the only morally unambiguous characters in the film - ends up saving his brother's life.
Ajay Jadeja, Khel
After a five-year ban for alleged match-fixing left his playing career in limbo, Ajay Jadeja tried his hand at acting, appearing alongside Bollywood stars Sunil Shetty and Sunny Deol in the drama Khel (2003). Jadeja's character, Rohan, is key to the plot - he is framed for murder and convicted, but the case is eventually reopened. Jadeja gets plenty of screen time, including an amusing dance sequence alongside Shetty in a nightclub. Khel was poorly reviewed on release - its three-hour runtime did it no favours - almost making it strictly for Jadeja fans only.
After a five-year ban for alleged match-fixing left his playing career in limbo, Ajay Jadeja tried his hand at acting, appearing alongside Bollywood stars Sunil Shetty and Sunny Deol in the drama Khel (2003). Jadeja's character, Rohan, is key to the plot - he is framed for murder and convicted, but the case is eventually reopened. Jadeja gets plenty of screen time, including an amusing dance sequence alongside Shetty in a nightclub. Khel was poorly reviewed on release - its three-hour runtime did it no favours - almost making it strictly for Jadeja fans only.
Vinod Kambli, Annarth
After a bright start to his international career, Kambli found himself out of favour by the early 2000s. His short-lived career as an actor began with the crime thriller Annarth (2002), which also starred Sanjay Dutt and Sunil Shetty. Kambli plays Bandya, a member of a criminal gang. His best scene comes in a garage, where he gets into a fight with rival gang members. He is outnumbered but soon finds himself in possession of a cricket bat. With the equalizer in hand, Kambli's Bandya pulls and drives to send his attackers packing.
After a bright start to his international career, Kambli found himself out of favour by the early 2000s. His short-lived career as an actor began with the crime thriller Annarth (2002), which also starred Sanjay Dutt and Sunil Shetty. Kambli plays Bandya, a member of a criminal gang. His best scene comes in a garage, where he gets into a fight with rival gang members. He is outnumbered but soon finds himself in possession of a cricket bat. With the equalizer in hand, Kambli's Bandya pulls and drives to send his attackers packing.
Sandeep Patil and Syed Kirmani, Kabhie Ajnabi The
After the 1983 World Cup, cricket's popularity in India soared and Bollywood looked to cash in. Director Vijay Singh cast two members of the winning squad in Kabhie Ajnabi The (1985), a romantic drama. Patil was cast in the lead role of Sandeep, a cricketer who falls in love with the daughter of a prominent industrialist. Kirmani makes a cameo as a crime don, hired to rough up Sandeep by his rival. Kirmani and Patil have a fight sequence as well. Apparently, a 10-year-old Sachin Tendulkar was an extra in the film. Patil said in an interview years later that Tendulkar was one of a group of kids who had been asked to be part of a cricket practice scene. Despite a strong opening at the box office, the film was poorly received by critics and audiences. Neither cricketer would have notable film careers, though Patil's son Chirag is set to play his father in the upcoming film 83.
After the 1983 World Cup, cricket's popularity in India soared and Bollywood looked to cash in. Director Vijay Singh cast two members of the winning squad in Kabhie Ajnabi The (1985), a romantic drama. Patil was cast in the lead role of Sandeep, a cricketer who falls in love with the daughter of a prominent industrialist. Kirmani makes a cameo as a crime don, hired to rough up Sandeep by his rival. Kirmani and Patil have a fight sequence as well. Apparently, a 10-year-old Sachin Tendulkar was an extra in the film. Patil said in an interview years later that Tendulkar was one of a group of kids who had been asked to be part of a cricket practice scene. Despite a strong opening at the box office, the film was poorly received by critics and audiences. Neither cricketer would have notable film careers, though Patil's son Chirag is set to play his father in the upcoming film 83.
Karthik Iyer is on ESPNcricinfo's multi-platform-content team