PUNE, June 23: One of the connotations of cricket is the vision of avalanches of people coming to the stadium to watch live action and a myriad number watching on television. Since childhood I was fascinated by all the exhilarating stuff that happened on TV during a cricket match - the replays, the wide angles, the close shots of the ball leaving the bowler's hand, the glamour and all the techniques that brought in the basic game at your doorstep. Being a girl never deterred me from liking what is usually considered a man's game and that too beyond its glamour. One of my dreams was to be with the crew when it recorded the live match.June 7 provided me with just the kind of opportunity I was looking for. This is when I met the Doordarshan crew which was to record the Sudhir Kulkarni benefit match at the Nehru stadium. It was not a live transmission, but that did not dampen my spirits. The Doordarshan team was gracious enough to accommodate me. So there I was, where I always wanted to be, adrenaline pumping in my blood strong and hard. What transpired after that was out of this world.
The crew let me accompany them to the introduction of the two teams which included the likes of Rahul Dravid, Salil Ankola, Rajesh Chauhan and veterans like Sandeep Patil and Kiran More. Also followed the toss and the pitch report.
Seeing this right in front of your eyes is a fruition of sorts. The astute cameraman shot every thing with detailed precision.
The pre-lunch period was dominated by the elegant batting of Rahul Dravid and more importantly by the input I got on how to use the camera and what angles to use it at, which was a revelation of sorts.
This was when I realised how important timing was. It was also my good fortune to be in the elite company of Chandu Borde, a cricketing hero from yesteryears who was present as a TV commentator.
But what one could call a bonus came at lunch time. And who would have thought the official lunch was to take place in the gracious company of the players themselves. For a few minutes I found myself gawking as this was an unexpected turn to my story. But I regained my senses quickly enough to use the paper napkins as a substitute for the autograph book. But what struck me was that, beyond the glamourous semblance all the players were just like you and me, ordinary people with extraordinary talents.
The post-lunch part was an exceptional period of the whole episode. I was allowed to handle the camera and take a few shots. Nothing can ever surrogate the exhilarating feeling for a neophyte.
Undoubtedly this was an experience of a lifetime. The knowledge that I gained was unparalleled.
Since childhood I wanted to become a professional in the crew - specifically related to the live telecast of cricket matches. This was just the kind of tryst with destiny that I was looking for.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
