Melbourne to Mumbai

Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. So much so that he once sneaked into the changing room during a test match and stole

Tendulkar’s protective gear box. Years later,when the 30-something from Melbourne felt that his mates were growing up and moving on,he decided to bring them together through their one common passion — cricket.

This is the story of Australian film Save Your Legs!,slated to premiere at the Mumbai Film Festival tomorrow. Directed by first-timer Boyd Hicklin,the film is based on an incident that took place during the 2001 Indian expedition of Abbotsford Anglers,a lower-rung amateur cricket team from Melbourne. The story has featured in the 2005 documentary of the same name,which was also directed by Hicklin. “I travelled with them and witnessed their experiences first-hand,” says Hicklin,whose film was also showcased at the London Film Festival recently.

Shot over seven weeks,Save Your Legs! follows a comic bunch of small-time cricketers as they discover love,faith and friendship on a three-match tour and their mission to meet Sachin Tendulkar. Shot in Mumbai,Kolkata and Varanasi,Hicklin has tried to stay away from the stereotypical portrayal of India — neither the exotic land nor the third-world country. “For the whole crew,coming to India has been one big adventure. That is how this vibrant country is portrayed in the film,” says the 44-year-old,adding that the one thing that struck him about India was its unpredictability. Talking about his shooting experience in the country,he says,“The local production team that we worked with was very professional and efficient. We thought the overall shooting went remarkably smooth.”

The film stars Australian actors Stephen Curry as Teddy Brown,besides Brenton Thwaites,Brendan Cowell and David Lyons as his friends. Indian-origin Australian actor Pallavi Sharda (who has worked in Heroine and will star in Abhinav Kashyap’s next film Besharam,opposite Ranbir Kapoor) plays Curry’s love interest. Ask him about the highlight of the shoot in India,and he replies with a chuckle,“The Bollywood number,definitely. We recorded a Bollywood-inspired version of 10 CC’s Dreadlock Holiday (I don’t like cricket,oh no,I love it!) and it appears towards the climax. Our choreographers,Hasina and Minaz,did a wonderful job teaching our Aussie lads how to dance with a Bollywood/cricket twist.”

From finding spiritual peace in Varanasi to attending a Durga puja in Kolkata and finally visiting the sprawling movie studios in Mumbai,the team does it all,as Brown’s plans are shattered by the bustle of the country. “We were amazed by the sheer cacophony of the cities,they are so chaotic and colourful,” says Hicklin,who visited India seven times before the shoot. He also plans to release the movie in Indian theatres. “Let us see how the film is received at the MFF,” he concludes.

Save Your Legs! will premiere in India on October 21 at JBT Opera Theatre,NCPA,Mumbai