Release date : May 26, 2017

Director : James Erskine

Producer : Ravi Bhagchandka Carnival Motion Pictures

Music Director : A. R. Rahman

Starring : Sachin Tendulkar, Salman Khan, Virender Sehwag, MS Dhoni

Sachin: A Billion Dreams is a biopic that gives a holistic view of Sachin Tendulkar’s life, who is revered as “the God” of cricket by his fans.

Story :-

Structurally, the film is designed as a documentary. While the film encapsulates the life of the master blaster right from his birth till date, it also gives an insight into the socio-economic situation of the country, making it feel like heavy-duty stuff.

This may not be the first documentary on Tendulkar, but probably it is the only one endorsed by him. So, you have him as the narrator sharing his personal moments along with his views and fears in a sincere and heartfelt manner.

Plus Points :-

While the film tells us of his growth as a cricketer which is common knowledge, it also reveals his personal life bringing to the fore his close-knit family and friends. How he got the name Sachin, how he met his wife, got married and how he spends his free moments, are a few of the interesting nuggets shared.

Cricketing greats like Sunil Gavaskar, Vivian Richards, Wasim Akram, Ravi Shastri, Shane Warne, Ricky Ponting, Virendra Sehwag, M.S. Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Harbhajan Singh, sports journalist Gideon Haigh, commentator Harsha Bhogle, cricket historian Boria Majumdar, singing legend Lata Mangeshkar and megastar Amitabh Bachchan speak highly about Sachin from time to time in this documentary.

Sachin’s retirement speech after winning the 2011 World Cup. The euphoria of the brilliantly played matches is once again relived, giving the plot-graph its required jagged edges.

Minus Points :-

With a run-time of two hours and 20 minutes, the first half of the film is interesting and fast paced. It dramatically ends on a somber poetic note. The second half moves at a slower pace and fatigue sets in, nevertheless the film is inspirational.

Technical Aspects :-

With editor Avdhesh Mohla’s smooth transitions and effective background score by A.R. Rahman, the proceedings are quite effective and smooth for the most part of the time. Visually, the film with the right blend of footages is engaging and the narrative arc by default is definitive with a set-up, set-back, and the finale.

The script designed by director James Erskine and Sivakumar Ananth seamlessly encapsulates Sachin’s life with archived footages from his personal videos and cricket matches.

Verdict :-

On the whole, Sachin: A Billion Dreams is quite informative, inspirational and will surely appeal to cricket fans and every Indian.