Sachin and I are very similar: Aamir Khan

It was the winter of 1988 and the Indian test cricket side was going through a rigorous practice session at the Brabourne stadium. While the Indian side was getting some batting practice at the nets, a slim, short and fair Hindi film actor walked into the middle to say “hi” to Kapil Dev. While they were talking, the actor’s sight veered towards another stocky, short and fair boy at the next net.

“Does he play for team? He is actually middling every delivery. Are you noticing that?” he asked Kapil.

“God willing, he will soon be in the team. He is also a rising star like you. And I have a feeling that both of you are equally talented in your respective fields…” Kapil answered.

That was the first time Aamir Khan saw Sachin Tendulkar. But it was a few more months before they spoke properly.

“We finally said ‘hi’ to each other a couple of months later when he came on my sets for the muhurat of my film Andaz Apna Apna. Somebody introduced both of us and we shook hands. We are both shy people and there were too many people around. But I remember him telling me that he admired my acting. I also told him that I know how talented a player he is.”

It was not just a mere exchange of pleasantries but also the beginning of a long innings of friendship that is still going strong after 20 years. And it took a few more years for a bond to grow.

Aamir recalls that he bonded with Sachin when he trained with him “sometime during 1995”. “I was training with Ali Morani. He used to work with Nanavati hospital and also the physiologist of the Indian cricket team at that time. We had trained for quite a few months together. We used to do cardio exercises together and had a lot of fun.”

Aamir says that he has a superstition about his best friend. “I had a habit of sending him a ‘best of luck’ text message before important matches. But I noticed that whenever I used to do that, Sachin used to get out cheaply. So, I stopped sending those messages.

In the last test match against England, when he was on sixty, I wanted to send him a message that I have a feeling that he is going to score a century. But I stopped myself. I actually sent the message to Anjali. And he did score a century! Sachin called me after the match and said that Anjali had forwarded him the message immediately.”

Ask him what made them click as friends, and Aamir is at a loss of words. “I don’t know, you know. We are very similar people. You never know why two people click and become friends. I can only tell you that he is one my best friends.”