Bhupinder Singh left Lucknow with just Rs 110 in his pocket to pursue his cricketing dreams in Mumbai where he sparkled on the club circuit before a career-thwarting knee injury. Now, he's getting famous on the big screen
Bhupinder Singh outside MIG Cricket Club's dressing room in Bandra east recently. Pic/Prakash Parsekar
Dadar station in the wee hours of an October morning. After soaking in the city's bustling atmosphere at the platform, he managed to book a bed for three days at a nearby lodge. It cost him Rs90. With just Rs20 in his pocket, he left for Shivaji Park the same evening in search of coach Ramakant Achrekar. "When I reached Shivaji Park, I began to look for sir. Some of the players then guided me to the net where he was coaching. When I approached him, he told me to meet him after three days," said Bhupinder.
He had to fend for himself in the city of dreams, but divine intervention arrived and Bhupinder found a Good Samaritan in Santosh Joshi. "After talking to Achrekar sir, I was quietly watching players practice in the nets. I saw him talking to three boys and then he pointed towards me. In fact, he told them that I too had come from outside Mumbai and could give them company. One of them was Santosh, who allowed me to live in his small room at Bangur Nagar in Goregaon. I was hesitant initially, but then decided to go ahead as I had no other option," he said.
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Bhupinder in his army chief avatar, a role he plays in Bhojpuri film, Border
Bhupinder's journey in Mumbai thus began. It was Santosh, who not only paid Achrekar's coaching fees (a nominal sum of Rs30 per month for the next six months), but also ensured a monthly local train pass for him.
Bhupinder began his day with cricket, long before Achrekar's 4 pm nets. With no formal training under his belt, Bhupinder used to request different coaches to allow him to bowl in the nets. "I used to bowl for around two to three hours. As I had no money to have breakfast, I used to drink a lot of water. Dal khichadi cooked by my roommates used to be kept for me when I returned to my room in Goregaon in the afternoon. After a little rest, I used to leave for Achrekar sir's nets."
That was Bhupinder's routine over the next four to five months. Looking back, he said: "Those days taught me a lot. I was ready to do any work. Many times, I used to get late looking for work and slept on the streets."
Air India captain Sanjay Manjrekar with fast bowler Bhupinder Singh during their Times Shield days at the Wankhede Stadium. Pics/Bhupinder Singh's collection
During his coaching days at Shivaji Park, somebody suggested that he visit MIG Cricket Club in Bandra east. Air India team coached by former Mumbai Ranji cricketer Vasu Paranjape used to occupy the nets then. "Vasu sir handed me a ball and asked me to bowl in the nets," he said.
However, an interesting incident took place as he made his way out of MIG. "Satish Samant, an Air India player, found me near the highway and told me that Pravin Barve, MIG's secretary and Air India manager, wanted to meet me. Barve sir ended up offering me a playing opportunity with MIG. He even told me that I could live in a small room near the ground. After a few days, I shifted to MIG CC and stayed with Angu Swami, another MIG CC cricketer," Bhupinder said.
At MIG, the only way for Bhupinder, was up! The next year (1991), after getting employment with Damodar Shipping, the lanky pacer's 16 wickets helped his team bag the Times Shield 'C' Division title. His Damodar Shipping contract was worth Rs.450 per month — his first job.
Sandeep Patil
A few months later, he got an opportunity to rub shoulders with India stalwart Sandeep Patil, who captained MIG in a tournament at Thane. "I picked up five wickets and got an opportunity to play along with Sandybhai in the final of the same tournament," he said.
Patil remembered that tournament. "There was something about Bhupi that I liked. He had some sort of an X factor, a great trier," said Patil, who loved the way players like Bhupinder fought all odds to play cricket.
Bhupinder later landed a job at Air India, courtesy Barve. His earnings from Rs450 per month now shot up to Rs1800 per month. "I will never forget what Pravin Barve did for me. He is like an elder brother to me. I still remember those days at MIG when we became the C, B and A division champions in three years [1991 to 1993]," said Bhupinder, who claimed 30-plus wickets in each of those three seasons.
Bhupinder's consistent performance in Mumbai cricket circles caught the eye of the Uttar Pradesh Ranji team selectors and he represented the state in six first-class games over 1993 and 1994. But there is more than a tinge of regret in that UP stint. "I felt bad to miss an opportunity to bowl to Mumbai's Sachin Tendulkar, Sanjay Manjrekar and Vinod Kambli. I was in the UP team, but was not included in the 1994-95 semi-final playing XI at Wankhede Stadium. Sachin scored a hundred against us," Bhupinder said.
The opportunity to bowl to Tendulkar was not lost forever. In 1996, Air India, led by Sanjay Manjrekar were drawn to play Sachin Tendulkar's SunGrace Mafatlal in a Times Shield A division fixture at MIG. Bhupinder admitted to stage fright. "I told Sanjay that I had injured my finger and may not be able to play when in fact, I was just trying to avoid getting hit by Sachin. But Sanjay wouldn't listen. He told me that I had to play even if my finger was broken. There was no option and had to mentally gear up to bowl against Sachin," he said.
Elaborating on that clash, Bhupinder remarked: "We were bowling first. I had already claimed the wicket of Rohan Gavaskar and another batsman. When Sachin came in to bat, I was not bowling. He faced one over from Satish [Samant] and one from leg-spinner Narendra Hirwani. Sanjay summoned me to bowl from the far end of the MIG ground. At our pre-match meeting we decided not to appeal loudly because that would upset him and he would then go crazy with his bat.
"Everyone had come to watch Sachin bat. He drove my first ball to mid-off and did not take a single. My second delivery that came in, caused me to appeal for a leg before wicket verdict and he was declared out without scoring a run. As I returned to the fine-leg fence, a few people scolded me: 'How could you dismiss Sachin? We came to watch him, not you,' they said."
Bhupinder's blossoming cricket career was cut short by a serious knee injury in 2003. Though he stopped playing, he did not end his association with the game. He took to coaching youngsters at MIG, but did not enjoy it. With nowhere to go, he reached out to Patil. "I was at Sandybhai's farmhouse near Panvel and I asked him what I should do. He suggested I try my hand at acting in films and television serials. I soon enrolled for acting classes at Bhartiya Vidya Bhavan and later worked as a theatre actor. This gave me the required confidence," Bhupinder said. A career on the silver screen began taking shape. Bhupinder first acted in the Ashutosh Rana, Om Puri-starrer Ansh where he played a small role of an inspector. "I did not receive any money from this movie as I was just a beginner," he said.
Today, after an eventful journey, Bhupinder, 50, is an Assistant Manager at Air India. His cricketing path was littered with adversity, but his struggles didn't end there. "The struggle continues in the film industry. I am still awaiting my big break," he said. Let's say his best is yet to come.
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