Pramodini Sidhaye wife of India's only deaf and dumb cricketer, Baba Sidhaye is set to file an FIR against the makers of Iqbal for an alleged violation of copyright
Pramodini Sidhaye wife of India's only deaf and dumb cricketer, Baba Sidhaye is set to file an FIR against the makers of Iqbal for an alleged violation of copyright
On the gloomy pitch of Indian cricket, bounce stories that spin hearts more than the googlies by the world's best bowlers. From the vast collection of heard and unheard stories, one that was captured on the big screen was that of a deaf and dumb cricketer late Yashwant Prabhakar Sidhaye alias Baba Sidhaye in Nagesh Kukunoor's 2005 written-directed film Iqbal.
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However, the disclaimers run with the film claimed that the plot was fictional. But the Pune-based family of the man with the magical bat isn't ready to accept the disclaimer and overlook the negligence that Mukta Arts exhibited while making the film.
"When the film was released I was stunned to see its resemblance to the life of my late husband. How can they run a disclaimer on the contrary? The script was surely written on the basis of several news articles that kept appearing in the newspapers. And had they been innocent, they would have at least cared to respond to our notices that we sent to them in the last four years," said Pramodini Sidhaye, the 74-year-old widow of the cricketer who represented Maharashtra at Ranji Trophy, played for Mumbai and Indian Railways. He was also a part of West Zone and North Zone teams and played five international matches against West Indies, Australia, England, Ceylon and New Zealand.
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Baba Sidhaye during a match |
Fact file
Baba Sidhaye played 42 Ranji matches for Maharashtra, Mumbai and Railways from 1952 to 1967-68. He scored 1417 runs (avg: 24.86 with a century (135) against Baroda at Nashik in 1956-57, seven half centuries and 29 catches to his credit.
An occasional leg-spin bowler, he has taken 10 wickets.
Sidhaye had a number of partnerships along with the legendary Bapu Nadkarni - the best being 238 runs for the fourth wicket against Baroda at Nashik where Sidhaye scored a century.
Though he did not appear in any tests, he represented his local state or zonal team against the touring visiting teams like New Zealand (1958-59) and Australia (in 1959-60). He also played for Stockport Cricket Club, in the Central Lancashire League in England in 1957.
His contemporaries referred to him as "The Panther" because of his swift movement on the field and his accurate pick-up and throws that ran out many batsmen. He also played for PJ Hindu Gymkhana in the Kanga League at Mumbai and once had hit 59-minute century which was then a world record.
Right to know
Section 63 of the Copy Right Act permits a person to sue a filmmaker if he or she is the heir or relative of the person whose life story has been copied. But the complainant has to prove in the court, the resemblances.
What the FIR says
'The said film called IQBAL is based on the true life story of Late Yashwant Prabhakar alias Baba Sidhaye and it's not the coincidence or an accident in writing of the entire script of the picture illegally produced by them.'
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