mohar basu mohar. basu@ mid- day. com Amo ng countrymen who live and breathe the sport of cricket, Pankaj Tripathi is a bit of an oddball. And even though he may never have found in himself any love for the sport, he still managed to bag a spot on Kabir Khanu2019s squad in the cinematic retelling of Indiau2019s first World Cup victory.
As PR Man Singh, considered the backbone of the Indian cricket team, Tripathi practically faked it till he made it, as he kept enacting the part of a man who was obsessed with the sport, studying its every technique. Eventually, the actor too developed a softspot for the game. u201c I wasnu2019t drawn to the game when I started shooting for this film. But, every day, I would see the boys [ cast members] Ranveer Singh, Saqib Saleem, Tahir Raj Bhasin, and others, work hard. They were being trained by the legends.
At the boot- camps, when Iu2019d interact with the players of the original team, I would be in awe,u201d says the actor.
He admits that the story of a team that had little scope of bringing home the winning cup, but did so against all odds, was not one he was willing to let go of. u201c The spirit of the story, and of the game, is tough to shake off when you begin learning about it. Now, I have started watching matches. Indiau2019s recent victory made me proud.u201d The spirit of the story, and of the game, is tough to shake off when you begin learning about it
