The 'reclusive' Tendulkar
Little is known about an important person behind Sachin Tendulkar's success, because the man himself, Ajit Tendulkar, has always kept a low profile
Kanishkaa Balachandran
25-Feb-2013
Little is known about an important person behind Sachin Tendulkar's success, because the man himself, Ajit Tendulkar, has always kept a low profile. A few months ago, an intriguing Union Bank hoarding went up in different parts of the country, featuring him. For a man who avoids attention and rarely makes a public appearance, it was unusual. Akshay Sawai speaks to the people who shot the advertisement to get an insight on Ajit Tendulkar, in Open Magazine.
The print advertisement was shot in a studio, the film in an old bungalow in Vile Parle East, a predominantly Maharashtrian locality. “We wanted something quaint [for the interiors],” says Mannan. “We wanted it to be a representation of the world Ajit comes from—books, wood [furniture], chai, and since it’s Bombay, we wanted rain.” Ajit is shown making tea (no milk), standing in a balcony and stretching his left hand out into the downpour. He reads from Pavsaala (Monsoon), brother Nitin’s book of poems inspired by rain. Later he sits down before a computer, scans newspaper clips of Sachin’s exploits, and jabs at the keyboard. ‘1971 was a remarkable year for Indian cricket,’ he types. And leaning back into the chair, smiles at the camera, a solitary man at last returning the gaze of the masses.
Kanishkaa Balachandran is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo