August 26, 2008	Tuesday	Sha’aban 23, 1429

COLOMBO, Aug 25: Sri Lanka’s top cricketers had a shot at Bollywood stardom when they were filmed for an upcoming movie that features some of the best players in the world.

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.

Sri Lankan stars Kumar Sangakkara, Muttiah Muralitharan and Sanath Jayasuriya were among those filmed at one of Colombo’s oldest cricket venues, the Oval.

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

“The film combines what Indians love best – cricket, music and Bollywood movies,” Sri Lankan producer Chandran Rutnam, who handled the Colombo leg of the shooting, said.

Rutnam said Bollywood names such as Baweja and Amrita Rao play key roles in the movie, but the biggest draw would be 40 international cricketers from seven countries.

“This was more difficult than actually playing cricket,” Sri Lankan paceman Dilhara Fernando said, after his first Bollywood experience.

The plot centres round a father who dreams his young son – played by Baweja – will rise from a small village in Rajasthan to play cricket for India.

Playing against some of the world’s most famous cricketers was an intimidating experience, Baweja said.

Filming, which began in Sydney last December, also includes locations in India, England and Pakistan, Rutnam said.

The film is intended to give a glimpse into backstage politics and the role that sponsors, selectors and managers play in the game, he said.

‘Victory’ is not Bollywood’s first move into cricket. ‘Lagaan’ was released to rapturous reviews in 2001 and was nominated for an Oscar for best foreign language film.

In 2003, British-made film ‘Wondrous Oblivion’ told the story of a young Jewish cricket fan growing up next door to West Indian immigrants in south London in 1960.

For ‘Victory’ director Ajitpal Mangat, meeting the stars of the game has been one of the highlights of the marathon shoot.

“These are all guys I’ve sort of admired from afar – and then here’s Murali [Muttiah Muralitharan] actually taking directions from me,” Mangat said.

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