Hollywood’s tryst with the cricket bug

Actress Bipasha Basu was not able to cheer the men in blue from the stands at Wankhede in the city, as she was away in Occhra shooting for her Rolland Joffe directed flick Singularity during the recent cricket World Cup finals, but she insists that she didn’t miss out any of the action.

The film, that also stars Hollywood star Josh Hartnett (of Pearl Harbour fame), is currently being shot in the interiors of Madhya Pradesh. However, gauging the mood, the unit had apparently decided to call off the shoot on the day of the finals and instead, caught the action on the big screen back in the palace where they had been put up. And it wasn’t only the Bolly guys cheering —  Bips also got the Hollywood unit rooting for Team India, as they swept the Cup home.

“Well, cricket’s not exactly an American game, but I think we managed to get both Rolland and Josh hooked to cricket. They even watched our boys beat Pakistan and by the time they watched the finals, they understood the game even better,” reveals Bips.

Talking about the evening of the historic win, she recalls, “One of our unit members even arranged for big blue bindis for all of us and we were sporting it all through the game.” What made it all the more amazing, she adds, is the fact that here was a group of phirangs cheering for the team like it was their own. “I think sports and films are truly universal in that sense.”

Of course, the actress does admit to helping out Josh understand the finer nuances of the game, but according to her, “Josh got a pretty good hang of it. In fact, I think they will follow the game even after they return back home. It’s hard not to fall for the charms of the game,” she adds.

Unfortunately, the actress hasn’t been able to celebrate the success with her own friends or members of the team and it seems like that will have to wait for a few more weeks. “Yes, I’m on a rather tight schedule. Within a few days of wrapping up Singularity, I have to leave for a rather gruelling shoot in Russia, where we will be shooting for Players in sub-zero temperatures,” she reveals. From shooting in 44 degrees plus weather in MP to minus zero in Russia? “Yes, it’s going to be crazy for my health, I think, but it’s going to be a real challenge shooting at such an interesting place where no Bollywood film has ever been shot before,” she
concludes.