Fresh from his IPL stint as an anchor and commentator, which Shaheb Bhattacherjee thoroughly enjoyed, the young actor has now set his sight on a variegated platter in terms of work experiences. In a candid chat with t2 on the sidelines of a special shoot at the iconic Eden Gardens — a first one for us (t2 thanks Shaheb and The Cricket Association of Bengal), which was challenging to execute because of the scorching sun, but one which Shaheb pulled off effortlessly without a single complaint — he spoke to us about his IPL experience and marriage! Excerpts.
How was it shooting at Eden Gardens?
I used to play cricket with Arun Lal back then. I have played in the Ambar Roy trophy finals here. We had won, so I have very fond memories of playing here. Besides that, of course, a major part of our childhood was spent in the stands right above us.
How was it hosting the IPL this time?
This was my second time. 2018 was the first time when I hosted IPL as a sports jockey. This time it was for the digital platform since JioCinema was broadcasting it digitally. It was a fantastic experience. The environment is so different. The office is huge and there are 12 (regional) languages working in the same place. To perform live anywhere is a challenge and it is sometimes tough for a creative person too to succeed in it. The experience was a lot of fun.
How did you prepare?
There are 25 players in each team and we have 10 teams. That’s like 250 players and so many uncapped players. So, there was a lot of reading involved. The homework was unbelievable. We used to get stat packs from the channel comprising 30 pages of statistics. You had to pick up points, prepare and remember. It’s quite a task and not just reading your dialogues and saying it. You have to be on point and that’s where the fun lies.
What was one fun fact that you got to know in the course of this IPL?
When (Mahendra Singh) Dhoni did a fantastic stumping in the final his reaction time was 0.1 second. Superhuman. When I inquired about his wicket-keeping practice session at the nets, I got the most stunning answer that he never does wicket-keeping at net practice. He is next to God, if not God.
With so many regional languages being celebrated on the IPL platform, what does it mean for the viewer?
This year Bhojpuri commentary kicked off with a bang. The commentators would say, English is a funny language, but Bhojpuri is a honey language! (Laughs) You cannot replicate that flavour. Almost three crore people watched the finals and Bengali commentary was on number three. Tamil and Telugu were the top two with strong loyalty. It felt great to see Bengali in the top three.
What makes a good host?
You have to be yourself. I think you have to be spontaneous and if you are not yourself, being spontaneous becomes difficult. We used a lot of street-smart language and colloquial terms while commentating this time. The digital medium allows for experimentation, breaking away from the usual.
You interacted with Jhulan Goswami from close quarters...
I knew Jhulandi before, but I got to spend a lot of time with her this time and learned a lot from her. She is humble and down to earth. Then I met Chris Gayle. Again, great player, legendary, warm and down to earth. I also met Robin Uthappa and got to know some stories from the Kolkata Knight Riders dressing room. I have realised everyone who has made it big, their roots go really deep.
What does this experience mean at this stage of your career?
I am thinking as an actor, a performer and as an artist, how else can I explore myself? I have never done commentary in my life. It was tough and the first two days were difficult to understand what was happening, but you get a hang of it and then the challenge becomes fun.
Who remains your favourite commentator?
Harsha Bhogle. They say commentary becomes soothing when you use simple language, but Harsha Bhogle has this tremendous capability to use difficult words yet make it so appealing.
Coming to your acting projects, you will be shooting in London...
I am going for two films. The first one is for Robin Nambiar and it is a romcom and the second one is with Mainak Bhaumik, which is a thriller. From there, I’ll take a small holiday to Dubai and then come back to Calcutta. It’s been a great year overall. There have been a lot of new things and my theatre is going great. We did a two-day theatre festival in Asansol, which was very successful.
And, life right now, is...?
It is a regular battle with my parents to get married! (Laughs) It’s about time. There’s no checklist, but we are looking for a bride for whom I am suitable! (Laughs) I am ready and so are my parents. Let’s see, I am taking a world tour...! (Laughs)