'Dangal' and 'Lagaan' rolled into one: A perfect topic for Aamir to turn into a cricket coach

There’s an emotional story of cricket coach Tarak Sinha waiting to be told; one who gave Team India 13 cricketers but got no recognition. How about this as Aamir Khan’s next?

Photo: twitter @Rishabpant777

New Delhi: Dear Aamir Khan. Now that ‘Dangal’ has breached collections in excess of Rs 350 crores pan-India and surpassed the unimaginable, how about imagining a sequel to the film?

One, that would recreate another Phogat like real-life coach story but wouldn’t require any dramatized filmi climax; and teary enough to fill Aamir’s emotional-chord standards. It would also call upon Aamir to relive his ‘Awwal Number’ chocolaty cover-drives and quick-fix strategies of Lagaan.  

This is the story of coach Tarak Sinha, perhaps waiting for an Aamir Khan to tell aloud his incredible story for entire India to sit back, notice and applaud --- a story of giving Team India not one-or-two-or-three, but 13 cricketers. Across five decades.

Rishabh Pant, picked for the T20 series against England, is the latest from the Sonnet stable – the club that Tarak Sinha founded in 1969. This same coach also gave India Ashish Nehra, Aakash Chopra, Shikhar Dhawan, Manoj Prabhakar, Anjum Chopra, Raman Lamba, Atul Wassan, Sanjeev Sharma, KP Bhaskar, Randhir Singh and Surinder Khanna.

Yet Tarak Sinha’s name lies trampled in those dusty forgotten sports ministry files that vouch to recognize coaches for their outstanding service. Dronacharya to atleast 50 Ranji cricketers and two Ranji trophy titles under his belt, Ustaadji --- as he’s fondly called --- doesn’t have a Dronacharya award yet, and having done the rounds of government offices and filling forms, he isn’t bothered about getting one now.

How about a film like ‘Dangal’ on his life? “Sounds good to hear but I don’t think someone will be interested. I don’t know if anyone will ever make a movie from my life…My job is in the background, I get more happiness when my ward goes out and gets the attention for his cricket,” he says. “Not getting a Dronacharya award doesn’t disturb me anymore, hopefully someday someone will recognize my services and the world will come to know about me,” the pain very evident in his voice.  

Tarak Sinha doesn’t possess any fancy NCA degrees and considers his wards as his proud certificates of coaching skills. “Whenever I see a good talent, I just cannot allow him to drift away. I see every student of mine as an experiment. When he succeeds I feel happy, if he fails, I go back and look into the reasons and then help him work his way back,” he says.  

Through his love of coaching, Tarak Sinha has invested his last penny to unearth dozens of IPL millionaires. To an extent where he was on verge of being thrown out of his rented accommodation because he had just diverted his rent to fill a tournament fee so that his boys could play. Tarak sir made a desperate call to Ashish Nehra, who promptly made arrangements and then later bought a house so that his coach would never have to see that situation again. “It’s a relation I have made with my boys, which gives me the biggest satisfaction. I can count on my boys any day, so why would I have to worry. These awards are nothing when compared to this. I feel a coach also has to be a father figure to the boys, in these modern days it’s very important as well,” says Tarak.   

He cites an example in Pant, who is already hailed as the next Dhoni, for his six-hitting prowess and the same small town-big success story. ““Yes, Rishabh is No. 13, but this number will be a lucky one for Team India, make no mistake,” he says. Seeing his unbelievable ability to hit big shots, Pant was coaxed by Tarak Sinha to switch base to Delhi from Roorkee, but didn’t quite have the resources. And so, Pant was shifted to a Delhi gurudwara.

It was Tarak sir who made arrangements for Pant to stay at Moti Bagh gurudwara, so that Pant would get his meals plus a place to stay, and most importantly his practice at nearby Venkateshwara college ground wouldn’t suffer. Pant now has several Under-19 and domestic records against his name --- fastest fifty, triple century et al apart from one of the biggest commercial deal for an upcoming cricketer.

Tarak ensured that Pant signs on the deal which he had picked for him, and not with the highest bidder. “I told him to remember his struggles. I told him to sign with the company that backed you when you were a nobody, don’t look at the money, just repay that faith, it will pay you more dividends,” he says.

It’s time to repay Tarak Sinha, his faith in Indian cricket, the system. It’s time for Aamir Khan to sign his next movie, and give Tarak his due.