Many have seen Indian cricketer Shantakumaran Sreesanth swing the cricket ball and trap some of the finest batsmen in the world. But now, fans are able to watch him swing a bike at breathtaking speed, and run around trees to the tune of music just like renowned film stars.
Sreesanth recently kicked off his film innings as the hero in a multi-language movie named Team 5. Released in Telugu, Malayalam and Tamil, this film is likely to be the start of another career for one of the most feared swing bowlers in world cricket.
Speaking to Gulf News tabloid! soon after the completion of the movie, Sreesanth said: “Acting in a movie was a great experience. I had to learn so much about a completely different industry, but I loved every bit of it.”
Sreesanth has been banned from playing cricket for life by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for his alleged involvement in spot fixing during the 2013 Indian Premier League. Though Sreesanth has been acquitted of this alleged crime by the Delhi Court, the BCCI is yet to lift his ban.
The versatile Sreesanth thus decided to venture into acting, although he does continue to practice cricket hoping for a recall to international cricket sometime in the future.
Incidentally, Sreesanth also ventured into politics and even contested as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate from Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, last year. While he got 34,764 votes, he lost the contest to VS Sivakumar of the Congress by 11,710 votes.
When asked how acting in films was different from playing cricket, Sreesanth said: “In cricket there are no retakes but in movies we can get the perfect scene through numerous retakes and with enough time.”
The 34-year-old Sreesanth, who was known for his accurate line and length, has taken 87 wickets from just 27 Test matches, and 75 wickets from 53 One Day Internationals.
Known to have good dancing skills, Sreesanth was also part of a dance reality show on television and is a break-dance specialist.
Talking more about films, he added,”This also does not mean that just because it is possible for retakes in a film, acting is easy. Both acting and cricket are tough but with their own charm.”
While Sreesanth was known for his aggressive bowling and demeanour on the field, in the movie he presents a pleasing smile and looks charming especially in a song sequence with his heroine Nikki Galrani. Incidentally, Galrani had made her debut in a leading role in the cricket-themed Malayalam movie 1983 alongside Nivin Pauly. Team 5 also stars Malayalam TV anchor and actress Pearle Maaney and well known actor, writer, director Makarand Deshpande.
The song Neela Shanku Pushpame from the film is already a hit. Gopi Sunder, who composed the music for this film, is also famous for his classy numbers from the hit Malayalam movie Bangalore Days.
Team 5, which is an adventure thriller, is written and directed by Suresh Govind and produced by Raj Zacharias. It is a story about five bike racers led by Sreesanth.
Sreesanth is hopeful that people will like his new role. “Every field has its significance. I love to give my best in whatever I do. So please do watch the movie and encourage me,” he said.
While the movie has released across India, Team 5 has yet to release in UAE cinemas.
