Wednesday, 24 July 2013

Harsha Bhogle- The Artist Behind the Artist

Ridicule. Scoffs. Smirks. Frowns. Free career advise. 

These, along with many other things, are what you come across in an Indian neighborhood, and the extended family in general, when you tell them that you are going to leave behind a Chemical Engineering degree from a prestigious university and a Post-graduation from IIM-A for what could have been a risky career in cricket commentary. 

Leaping over these mental hurdles, usually turn out to be the most difficult steps for an average Indian in choosing a hatke job. But then, this was the son of a professor of French and a professor of Psychology, which in themselves are lackluster jobs in India. Though I don't know him personally, I might as well say, he wouldn't have faced much problem in choosing his own path. 

He must have thought that he was choosing a path.

He carved a niche.

Why do we need guides when we visit historical places? Can't we just read all about it on our phones? or on the tiles there? 

Why do we still get goosebumps when we hear Nehru's 'Tryst with destiny', even when we know it was on 15th August 1947 that we attained our independence?

Words, have some incredible power. I don't have the verbal prowess to explain it better than the following quotes. 

“There is something about words. In expert hands, manipulated deftly, they take you prisoner. Wind themselves around your limbs like spider silk, and when you are so enthralled you cannot move, they pierce your skin, enter your blood, numb your thoughts. Inside you they work their magic.”

“Don't use words too big for the subject. Don't say infinitely when you mean very; otherwise you'll have no word left when you want to talk about something really infinite.” 
 C.S. Lewis

The above quotes perfectly epitomise what Harsha Bhogle brings to the cricket broadcast. 

Now, what I assume must have been difficult for Harsha Bhogle is the fact that he had to sit with a bunch of cricket experts at a very young age and talk about cricket alongside them. Well, everyone is a cricket expert in India. What is so special? Try talking alongside a former test player at that age. To the likes of Ian Chappell, who is visibly very forthright and direct, to put it mildly. You can't gain the respect of such a man easily. If he thinks you are beneath him, he can beat you black and blue. And I see a certain level of respect towards Harsha whenever they are together in the commentary box or on Cricinfo's "Timeout" section. 

To gain the kind of respect from former and current players alike, especially considering the fact that the highest level of cricket he played was University level cricket (for my own university :P), is Harsha's biggest achievement in my view. 

Everybody starts as a layman in their life. When you first start off watching cricket as a kid, you listen to what the commentators are saying to understand the game's basics. Whether the commentator is your father who is watching the game along with you or whether they are the one's on the television does not really matter at that stage. Then you start to know the players. You become a fan of a few. Then you start following those players' careers. 

How do you start knowing the players? It is not through your father's commentary this time. The credit definitely goes to the TV commentary team. They talk about the intricacy of the man's game. They analyse it beautifully for us, so that we can understand their game. Seldom do we give them enough credit for that.

What do you remember a man for? His work? Or how he goes about his work? I think it is the second. 

Ricky Ponting will always be remembered as a great player, but not fondly by many. He will always be that rude Aussie 'captain', whose demeanor was beneath the respect that the title deserves. 

It is here where Harsha scores over the other commentators. I have never listened to him talking like a professor, comes across more like a student, a student who is a fan of the subject rather than a student who is in search of grades. He presents himself like a voice of the fan. He is the fan. 

The IPL 2013 final was a case in point. Everyone heard how Sachin, from the dug-out perfectly read that Bhajji's ball that bowled someone out in the recently concluded IPL final.  everyone must have been intent on Sachin's words. I still remember wondering who was the more excited kid. Sachin? for obvious reasons, or Harsha? for picking up a gem of a moment during commentary, that he knew would be really remembered for ages. No one else would have ended it the way Harsha ended it "Replays are for simple people like us". Both were 10 year old kids for me at that moment. 

I have never seen a commentator or a presenter better than him who can involve two giants of the game in a very interesting debate. He never lets a dull moment creep in. For crying out loud, he was talking about Sunil Narine's Mohawk during a game and it still was entertaining. 

I don't think I can hear anyone describe Sachin's 'on-the-up' drive through the covers better than Harsha. If Harsha didn't exist, I would never have known that Sachin feels well when that drive feels well. And I can never thank him enough for that. That is why, he is  "THE ARTIST BEHIND THE ARTIST"






11 comments:

  1. I have read quite a few articles on Harsha Bhogle written by ordinary people like you and me, this one is the best.

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  2. I don't understand how you can speak for everyone by saying Ricky Ponting will "not be remembered fondly by many and he will always be that rude Aussie 'captain', whose demeanor was beneath the respect that the title deserves". I am very sure most of the Australians will remember him very fondly. You can say that it is your opinion, bit do not speak for others.
    -Vikram

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    1. Dude.. Relax... I also said that he is a great player. And I still don't hav any qualms about that line. I still stand by it... There are "many" who don't like his on-field behaviour. There is a difference between saying that many don't like it and saying that no one likes his behaviour. I was just speaking for people who concur with me. And I hav many friends who do. If u don't, I respect ur opinion. You like wat u like and I like wat I like. Simple

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    2. Chandu bhai.... I love the way you spoke about lot of things ... As a cricket lover i can understand the love and enthusiasm you have .... feels good to see that... But i love Ponting for his aggressiveness on the field. You know how the sledging goes at college level .. then just imagine at the international level how it would be.. sometimes you need to be rude ... All the spices in an appropriate amount makes a good dish ... :) thats wat i feel... anywaz bro good tat you started writing blogs.. love to see more from you.. Are you also planning to take some hatke decision ?... just felt like tat while reading tis blog..:)

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    3. Well. I have already taken a lot of hatke decisions. Most of them went bad. That aside. I don't mind sledging. It is good for the game in a way in my view. Makes for a interesting viewing.

      I start having problems with Ponting's behaviour when he starts arguing with the umpire. I don't like that. And he did that a lot of times. I was talking about that specifically. Not about sledging and stuff.

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    4. Agree, as long as it is not about commenting on someone else's wife or family. McGrath v Lara.

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  3. Lot of debate on other issues. I will stick to the article and one line that is my pic from Harsha's repository "World seems a better place when you look at a straight drive like that". Good work mate.

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    1. There are a lot of gems. I spoke about the ones which talk about his persona. Thank you for the comments.

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  4. Nice blog about nice personality. Good one dude.

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  5. GOOD WORK RA CHANDU KEEP IT UP THIS IS UR BACHPAN FRND PREETHAM

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