A phenomenon called MSD

As a practice, it would be incorrect to start with an abbreviation. But in an absolutely cricket crazy country like

India where the sport is followed by millions like a religion one can very well afford the liberty to do that and still 

manage to get the point across to the reader.

Ever since his international debut in 2004 as a long haired wicket keeper who could also bat, MSD has come a long way to be the captain of the Indian cricket team in all forms of the game for the last few years. In monetary terms too, he is the richest cricketer as of date by a wide margin and also figures among the richest sportsmen in the world which actually speaks volumes about his personality and journey so far considering that he comes from a small town with a very humble beginning.

So not really surprising that a lot has been written about MSD in recent years about his ability as a cricketer, his fame and fortune. But exactly what is it that has made MSD what he is today? If you look at the history of cricket, there have been several cricketers with exceptional cricketing abilities but none have made such a mark within such a short span of time with all due respect to all other great cricketers India or for that matter the world has produced.

Indian fans have also accorded the status of God to a living legend of the game, a feat yet to be achieved by MSD, but despite this there is something special and unique which MSD has and that separates him from the rest in the cricketing world.

As far as batting skills are concerned MSD is average, in fact from a technical point of view there are many batsmen who would be rated several times better than him. MSD’s batting style is completely unorthodox characterised by non-cricketing shots and tremendous power which is his biggest strength making bowling to him a very difficult affair for bowlers around the world. For any bowler it would be much easier to bowl to a technically sound player in the sense that the batsman’s response can be gauged to some extent. But while bowling to an unorthodox batsman the bowler is clueless which makes a player like MSD unique.

MSD’s cricketing sense and ability to read the situation at any stage of the game is above all which is clearly evident from the way he marshal’s his resources in every match depending upon the situation. Is an exemplary captain who leads from the front many a times willing to put himself in the thick of action and steering his side to victory which has earned him the reputation of being the world’s “best finisher”.

But above all the biggest quality which has ultimately made MSD who he is today, is his ability to stay calm and collected and be in control of his nerves in tense moments. Cricket as it is played today is as much a game of nervous energy as it is of pure cricketing skills and MSD is simply the best in the world when it comes to holding on to his nerves in the most demanding situations. And this is the most important characteristic feature which separates him from the rest in the cricketing world and which has also earned him the reputation of being called “captain cool”.

The obvious question then is, where do you get this quality from? The ability to remain completely calm and 

collected in tense situations, when everyone else around you just can’t handle the pressure. Do they teach you 

in school or university? Can you buy it? No not at all. This quality is simply in born so either you have it by birth

or you don’t!! And for that matter MSD owes it to his genes and ultimately the almighty!!

Dangal - Nothing like it

Awesome, Brilliant, Superb, Great, Outstanding, 5 on 5 stars....call it what you may. I will simply call it TOO GOOD and a MUST WATCH. Surely one of those rarest of rare movies in Bollywood which have a repeat value.

To my mind, Taare Zameen Par was probably the only movie directed by Aamir Khan in which he also played the lead role. But over the years he has built such a great reputation about himself that no matter in what capacity he is associated with any movie, there is something special about that movie. 

And Dangal is no different. So its stands to reason that Aamir not only chooses his movies wisely but may be is also involved in thorough detail in all aspects of the movie he is part of and that's exactly why all things fall in place in all of his movies. At the same time i would like to point out that i still remember his comments on intolerance and hope that he and all celebrities always remember that without us - common people, their "acquired" importance and status is ZERO. So they should be very very careful while making comments in public, stick to their profession/job and leave politics to politicians. 

One thing common though about all his movies is that people of all ages enjoy his movies and they are made as such. Don't want to be a critic here and neither do i have any technical expertise in movie making but purely as a viewer i felt Fatima, who played Geeta Phogat's role did not quite fit into the role because she did not "look" like a wrestler. Someone with a rusty and a little bulky physique like wrestlers normally have would have been a better choice. As for her acting and performance i would give her 10/10 and its very clear how much effort she has put in. I felt the same about Anuskha Sharma's casting, in Sultan.  

To me, more than a spectacular experience, the movie had many things to learn from...

At, the core of anything that you want to succeed there is absolutely no substitute to hardwork, dedication and the most important of all "Sacrifice". Like in the case of any sport which requires you to be physically fit (wresting in this case), you have to simply give up on many delicacies and have complete control on your taste buds. This is of course easier said than done. Like in the movie, when Geeta goes to NSA she loses her discipline on food and the results are for all to see.

Which brings me to another important learning. No matter how committed and disciplined you are and focused on your goal, your external environment and people in immediate contact with you always have an immense influence on you. Like in the movie when Geeta is at the NSA, she gets into bad company with her fellow athletes and a series of losses come her way. However when she is under the watchful eye and guidance of her father in her small village she is totally focused and at her best.n

Another lesson to learn is that no matter how much anything gets developed be it a sport or otherwise, the basics do not change. This is quite evident in the movie from what Geeta learns from her new coach at NSA, apparently new and modern techniques which do no good to her and how she excels and gets back to her best under the guidance of her father who is considered to be old and outdated with his technique, but in the end very effective.

But above all the most important learning from the movie comes out in its climax scene. Where Geeta is left all by herself in the final against a very formidable opponent and with her father not by her side to guide her with strategy. With Geeta almost at the brink of a loss during the match, she recalls her father's words of wisdom having hurled her in deep waters while still a child and unable to swim. That your father wont be by your side always and its only you and only you that have to fight and come out good and survive tough situations in life. This to me, is at the core of anything that we ought to strive to achieve in life. Complete independence and decision making without which our lives are incomplete.   

  

P.S. These days if you want to watch and fully understand a Bollywood movie, a crash course in Punjabi and Haryanvi language is a must!!