Second innings: Cricketers who tried their luck in films

Hundreds of wannabe actors knock on the doors of tinseltown everyday with hopes of making it big And if you have a godfather or the right contacts half the battle is won The industry is also quite welcoming if you belong to the field of an average Indians interest mdash preferably cricketS Sreesanth is making his Bollywood debut with Pooja Bhatts CabaretIn the past few years we have seen quite a few cricketers who after losing their slot in the Indian cricket team have received offers to become heroes on reel The latest is fast bowler S Sreesanth who was suspended in connection with the 2013 IPL spot fixing case and will soon be seen in Pooja Bhatt and Bhushan Kumars coproductionNew beginningAlleged involvement in the fixing controversy led to the fall of Sreesanth who was part of the 2011 World Cupwinning Indian team And since controversial figures are mostly an ideal choice for reality television the speedsters participation on Jhalak Dikhhla Jaas last year did not come as a surprise mdash to be fair he is a pretty good dancer He however did not win the showWhile the Delhi High Court has dropped fixing charges against him he is prepping up to make another entry into the Indian team and the entertainment industry as well He will be seen in Pooja Bhatt and Bhushan Kumars coproduction Cabaret This will be the cricketers first Hindi film and he has done workshops to sharpen his acting skillsNot so impressiveAjay Jadeja was a successful cricketer having played for Indian cricket team from 1992 to 2000 until a matchfixing scandal undid him He was banned for five years But by the time the Delhi High Court revoked the ban and made him eligible to play international and domestic cricket he had worked out an alternative plan for himself Ajay made his Bollywood debut with Khel 2003 also starring Sunny Deol and Suniel Shetty But it didnt prove propitious for himSuniel Shetty Yuvraj Singh Ajay Jadeja and Vinod KambliHe was next seen in a forgettable film called Pal Pal Dil Ke Ssaat 2009 Another cricketer who featured in the same film was former southpaw Vinod Kambli who is currently in news for allegedly harassing his domestic help Kambli had tried his luck in Bollywood over a decade ago But just like Jadeja his debut film failed to do wonders for him and it was ironically titled Annarth 2002 costarring Sanjay Dutt and ShettyMarketing gimmickWhile none of these cricketerturnedactors have had a successful run in Bollywood so far industry experts believe that casting them is a marketing strategy by producers who hardly expect a great performance from them Filmmakers use their popularity to earn a bigger audience for their films Producers know that these cricketers are not going to become stars in that sense of the term but casting them is an oneoff thing The cricket players do not get to do many films because their acting abilities are exposed after their debut film releases says trade expert Komal NahtaSalil Ankola left in a still from Riwayat 2012Better than the restSalil Ankola might not have been as popular as other cricketers like Jadeja or Kambli but he has done more number of films than them He played for India between 1989 and 1997 As he lost his place in the squad later he made his debut with Kurukshetra 2000 sharing screen space with Sanjay Dutt While the film did not make him a star offers kept coming his way He was seen in Pitaah 2002 Chura Liyaa Hai Tumne 2003 and a few more forgettable films He also did a few television showsKapil Dev will make his TV debut with Sumit Sambhal Lega above and inset Sunil Gavaskar was seen in Maalamaal 1988After hanging up their boots cricketing legendsSunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev have made guest appearances in films and their presence has arguably been liked While Gavaskar was seen in Maalamaal 1988 with Naseeruddin Shah Kapil made cameo appearances in Stumped 2003 Mujhse Shaadi Karogi 2004 and Iqbal 2005 The latter is also making his small screen debut with Sumit Sambhal Lega a desi adaptation of Everybody Loves RaymondThe trendsettersIt is said Salim Durani was one of the first cricketers to have sought his fortune in Bwood He was signed for BR Isharas Charitra 1973 opposite Parveen Babi Following suit was cricketerturnedcoach Sandeep Patil who bagged Kabhi Ajnabi The 1985 around the same time that his cricket career was threatened following poor performance against EnglandSandeep Patil right with Poonam Dhillon in Kabhi Ajnabi The 1985He starred opposite Poonam Dhillon and Bengali actress Debashree Roy with whom he was romantically linked In the same film wicketkeeper Syed Kirmani was cast as the villain After a long hiatus Kirmani returned to the silver screen in 2012 as a cricket coach in Malayalam film Mazhavillinattam Vare Till the End of the shyRainbowStill welcomeTrade analyst Taran Adarsh says If a few cricketers could not make it big it does not mean that no one else would It is just that they have to choose the right project and deliver a hit If that happens they will get more offers and their popularity will only increase So will the audiences expectationsIn fact Suniel Shetty who has worked with Jadeja and Kambli believes that more cricketers should enter moviedomSalim Durani stepped into BTown with the 1973 film Charitra in which he had Parveen Babi as his costar They both worked hard to deliver their best in films They love acting and I loved working with each of them he says and adds Unfortunately their debut releases didnt do well at the boxoffice and therefore they did not get more offers But they have enough followers to make them stars I think Yuvraj Singh should also act in films He is a fighter looks good and has an immense fan following which are the basic requirements to become a star