AFP, New Delhi :
Critics called the new Sachin Tendulkar biopic “hagiographic” but fans of the Indian cricket legend loved the work that hit screens amid nationwide fanfare on Friday.
“Sachin: A Billion Dreams”, directed by Emmy-nominated British filmmaker James Erskine, brought out throngs of fans from the first day.
It has real footage of the right-handed batsman who made his debut for India in 1989 aged just 16, but its claims to reveal the more intimate side of the icon did not impress reviewers.
“Sachin: A Billion Dreams is a well-made effort, looks good, but when you reach out for something insightful, your hand closes on air,” Indian Express sports journalist Sriram Veera wrote.
“It’s the dumbing down that makes you sigh. It’s a movie (docu-feature) that you would take your kids to … The real disappointment lies in the absence of any insights,” Veera added.
Tendulkar, recipient of India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, is the only cricketer to have scored 100 international centuries and the highest run scorer in international cricket with more than 34,000 runs.
Critics called the new Sachin Tendulkar biopic “hagiographic” but fans of the Indian cricket legend loved the work that hit screens amid nationwide fanfare on Friday.
“Sachin: A Billion Dreams”, directed by Emmy-nominated British filmmaker James Erskine, brought out throngs of fans from the first day.
It has real footage of the right-handed batsman who made his debut for India in 1989 aged just 16, but its claims to reveal the more intimate side of the icon did not impress reviewers.
“Sachin: A Billion Dreams is a well-made effort, looks good, but when you reach out for something insightful, your hand closes on air,” Indian Express sports journalist Sriram Veera wrote.
“It’s the dumbing down that makes you sigh. It’s a movie (docu-feature) that you would take your kids to … The real disappointment lies in the absence of any insights,” Veera added.
Tendulkar, recipient of India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, is the only cricketer to have scored 100 international centuries and the highest run scorer in international cricket with more than 34,000 runs.
