Starring Sreesanth

“If the world is trying to stop you, don’t worry, there is a whole universe out there with you. Cricket used to be my everything, but some things happened. Those incidents should not stop me from leading my life and taking care of my kids. I have my family to take care of and I am extremely thankful that whatever talents I had in school, which my parents encouraged, are coming to my aid now — be it dance, music, or movies. ” As former cricketer S. Sreesanth speaks these words, two aspects are clear — his abiding love for cricket and his decision to start his innings on another wicket, which has nothing to do with cricket. Sreesanth’s debut film Team 5 released yesterday and the cricketer-turned-actor talks about facing the new googlies that life has thrown at him, which he has been tossing for a six thanks to the newfound maturity and patience the hard knocks in life have imparted.

Still from Team 5

On his role in Team 5, he says, “I play a biker named Akhil and there are some bike stunts I got to perform. Since I love challenges, I enjoyed the adrenaline rush the stunts and bike races gave me.”

But Team 5 is not an action film. There is a love story threaded through the film, which has some lilting music and Sreesanth’s dance prowess on display. Nikki Galrani plays his love interest and Pearle Maaney acts as his sister.

“The film is about the challenges Akhil faces throughout his life and how he emerges a champion at the end of it,” he summarises. He also divulges, “I play two shades in the film — one who is laid back, shy and only cares about bikes and the other one who is a fighter and is strong.” 

As Sreesanth talks about the role, one cannot help, but think of the parallels with his own life, but Sreesanth chooses to say, “It is not only my life; everyone is fighting their own battles.” 

Doing the stunt scenes was a high point for Sreesanth and though he is a self-confessed bike lover, he realised that riding a bike and doing stunts on it are as different as chalk and cheese. “First, I had to gain control over the bike and once I had control and the balance, things proceeded smoothly,” he says. 

So that is all about the role, now what about his nerves? Does the actor in him have butterflies in his stomach? Sreesanth candidly replies, “Yes,” adding, “This is my first step into tinsel town and while I know people have accepted me as a cricketer, the verdict on the actor part is still awaited! Since the movie is a tri-lingual in Telugu, Malayalam and Tamil, I am eagerly waiting the audience response. I want the audience to see Sreesanth — the actor— and not the cricketer.”

The spot-fixing charges levelled against him and the days till he was exonerated were the darkest days of his life, but he has made his peace with the past. He also seems to have mellowed down — that famed hotheadedness is nowhere to be seen. He laughs and says, “Fatherhood has helped me. My two lovely angels have brought about a sense of calm and contentment to my life. Where I used to spend a lot of time on the field, now I spend that in the play area with my kids. Fatherhood gives a different perspective to life and you tend to start respecting your parents more because you realise how difficult it is to raise a child.” 

Fatherhood has not made him slack off on his fitness routine though. Sreesanth is looking fitter than before. He stresses that even through his difficult days, he never compromised on his fitness routine. “Like the legends say, the body is my temple and I am keeping myself primed,” he says. Sreesanth also harbors a secret reason for his obsession with fitness. Like a prayer, his words come out, “What if my ban gets lifted and I have a chance to come back to the team? I still want to be known as a good cricketer.”

For those not in the know, the BCCI has not lifted the life ban imposed on Sreesanth after the spot-fixing charges were levelled against him. He hopes for a miracle and prays that he finds a place in the World Cup - 2019. “If I get to play a couple of seasons for Kerala, I hope to be in the reckoning. Age is not a factor as long as you can bowl fast and you are fit. But ultimately it is the decision of the cricketing boards and the BCCI. But I will be knocking on the doors of the cricketing boards as soon as I start playing again,” he says.  

The knocking may have to wait considering Sreesanth’s film career is thriving. He has a couple of offers from across industries and his Bollywood film will be releasing soon. 

Before signing off, Sreesanth says, "No matter what happens, you have to hang in there. People who say life is short are wrong! Life is a long journey and you have to go through every experience and not worry about success and failure. You have to believe in yourself!”