40 intl cricketers figure in new Bollywood flick on cricket

Sri Lankan cricket stars Kumar Sangakkara, Muttiah Muralitharan and Sanath Jayasuriya are among the 40 international cricketers who have figured in a Bollywood-film-in-the-making Victory, a story of a father who wants his son to rise to the level of a cricketer of international fame.

Colombo, Aug 26 : Sri Lankan cricket stars Kumar Sangakkara, Muttiah Muralitharan and Sanath Jayasuriya are among the 40 international cricketers who have figured in a Bollywood-film-in-the-making "Victory", a story of a father who wants his son to rise to the level of a cricketer of international fame.

Scenes for "Victory," a story of a small town boy who dreams of playing cricket for India, were shot in Colombo last week, with actor Harman Baweja playing against Sri Lanka's national team, reported The News.

Also starring in the 10-million-dollar film will be the Indian team, plus Australian paceman Brett Lee, England bowlers Sajid Mahmood and Simon Jones, and New Zealander Craig McMillan.

The film is scheduled to have its premier in January in Bombay, followed by a release in Britain.

After his first Bollywood experience, Sri Lankan paceman Dilhara Fernando said: "This was more difficult than actually playing cricket."

On his part, actor Baweja said that playing with international cricketers was an 'intimidating experience' for him. "Luckily, I've always been a cricket fan, but then I think every Indian is born loving cricket. Playing against some of the world's most famous cricketers was an intimidating experience. It helps that they are all going easy on me," Baweja said.

Filming, which began in Sydney last December, also includes locations in India, England and Pakistan. The film is intended to give a glimpse into backstage politics and the role that sponsors, selectors and managers play in the game.

ANI