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Sachin Tendulkar: The multi-million dollar baby

Derek Abraham visits Shivaji Park's Nirmal Nursing Home where 'Baby Sachin' was born.

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Nestled in a quiet, leafy corner of Shivaji Park’s Ranade Road is Nirmal Nursing Home, a two-storey facility that specialises in childbirth. Five years after it was established in 1968, Dr Shraddhanand Thakur oversaw the birth of a “healthy baby boy” at 1 pm exactly 40 years ago. The retired gynaecologist is 85 now, but he clearly remembers the day he laid his hands on Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.

“My brother-in-law, PL De-shpande (“Pu La”, the renowned Marathi writer, film and stage actor, music composer, harmonium player, singer, and orator) introduced me to Ramesh Tendulkar (also a famous literary figure),” Dr Thakur recalls. “His wife, Rajani, was expecting and after a round of consultation I informed Ramesh that a normal delivery would not be possible. We then decided to conduct a C-section.”

Dr Thakur left a “tense” Tendulkar Sr in the company of Deshpande at his second-floor residence — he still lives there — before facilitating Sachin’s birth on the first. “I then ran up to my flat to pass on the good news,” says Dr Thakur, who also counts the Mangeshkars and Thackerays among his patients.

According to the official hospital register, ‘Baby Sachin’ weighed 2.850 kg. The address mentioned is “3/76, Tulsidas Tejpal Chawl, Padmabai Thakkar Road”. Expectedly, the plot of land (a stone’s throw from Shiv Sena Bhavan) underwent redevelopment. And it’s now called Indravan Co-operative Housing Society. A few years after Sachin’s birth, the family shifted to Sahitya Sahawas society in Bandra East.

Nirmal Nursing Home was a six-bed hospital then (with one special room and five general ward slots). “We have 15 beds now,” says Dr Satish Thakur, who has been managing this facility as well as the nearby Thakur Hospital ever since his father called it a day.

“This is the room where Sachin spent the first 10 days of his life,” Dr Satish says, pointing to a modestly furnished room with two beds. “This room would have cost them Rs 100 a day. Now, we charge Rs 2,800,” he informs. If Dr Thakur’s memory serves him right, the cost of a C-section was “less than Rs 1,000 then”. It is not less than Rs 80,000 today.

“Nowadays, C-section patients are discharged within three days. In those days, we kept the mother and child with us for well over a week,” he further adds.

The Thakurs have also overseen the birth of Raj Thackeray’s daughter and Manohar Joshi’s granddaughter.

Sachin was the only one born in that maternity home on April 24, 1973. Is that one of the reasons he’s so unique? Perhaps!

A couple of months after he made his international debut, Dr Thakur revisited the register.

“I realised it was the same boy. I used to wonder it was Ajit (Sachin’s older brother) the world was talking about. Then I had a look at the date of birth. Ramesh and I were life-long friends,” he says.

Sachin last visited the Thakur household way back in 1996. “It was just after the World Cup. His wife (Anjali) was also present,” Dr Thakur says. So when was the last time he met Sachin? “I met him New Zealand more than 10 years ago. My daughter lives there and Sachin visited us (the Indian team had had a torrid time, losing the Tests 0-2 and the ODIs 2-5). He was happy because we served him Maharashtrian food,” Dr Thakur reveals.

He hasn’t spoken to Sachin in ages, but Dr Thakur is till in touch with the maestro’s mother. “The day he scored his 100th international century, I rang up his mother. That’s what I always do. I request her to convey my regards to Sachin.”

Dr Thakur isn’t exactly a cricket buff, but he is sure about one thing. “There is no way any batsman will break Sachin’s records. I wish him all success.” He is also happy about the fact that Sachin is a Rajya Sabha MP. “He is a very honest person and can do wonders for this country. I am sure he will use his stature to help people. But let him focus on his cricket now.”

Mention the ‘R’ word and it puts him off. “Too many people are ready with unwarranted advise. The funny part is Sachin may have never even asked for it! The call is his. He knows when to call it a day,” Dr Thakur says of his most famous patient.

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