Harsha Bhogle Opens Up About Why BCCI Sacked Him As Commentator And The 'Tiff' With Big B
It was projected as if Big B's tweet against commentary panel fueled Harsha's exit from the comm box.
Nearly a year since Harsha Bhogle's controversial ouster from the commentary box, he is in his unpretentious South Mumbai office, in jeans and black sneakers, humming 'Chhoti si asha'. But there is another piece of music is up for discussion - 'Mai pal do pal ka shaayar hoon'.
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In his tribute to MS Dhoni on cricbuzz.com, Bhogle revealed that 'Mai pal do pal' was the former Indian captain's favourite song. It's all transitory, the song says. It is also the right philosophy, perhaps, for Bhogle to embrace as he deals with his professional setback.
"I do think I take that approach now. Initially, I took it very badly, I'll be honest," Bhogle says, a window to his right, and behind him a 'Friends of Australia' poster. He speaks softly but is engaged in the conversation, which is evident from the varying pitch of his seasoned voice. Candid statements are likely to be made in a flat tone. Emotional ones are delivered almost in a hoarse whisper, supported by gesticulation and a narrowing of eyes. (Read: Here's Why We Will Miss Harsha Bhogle Behind The Mic - 11 Of His Best Quotes)
"No one told me what the matter (the reason for his sacking) was," he says. "If someone had said 'You're not good enough', that would've been fine. Some big players have been told that. Suppose I was told I violated a broadcasting ethic, even that would have been fine. But nobody could look me in the face and tell me, 'This is the reason'. Eventually, I said if that's what it is, that's what it is. It's been the biggest learning experience of my career. Offers started coming right away. Everyone thinks doors are shut, which is true... (pause)...but windows are open."
Bhogle's video blogs on Cricbuzz have received over 50 million views. And with his wife Anita, who runs a corporate speaking program, he has done 47 events since April 2016.
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The Amitabh Bachchan factor
An irony is brought to Bhogle's notice.
'Mai pal do pal' was filmed on Amitabh Bachchan, the man whose tweet about a telecast last year reportedly led to the commentator's exit. Bachchan felt the commentators should have spoken more about Indian players. It was an oblique reference to Bhogle. Dhoni shared Bachchan's tweet and fanned the flames.
"We are different people in different situations," Bhogle says about the tweet. "I actually wrote to Mr Bachchan. I sent him a DM (Direct Message), saying how for the past 40 years I have admired him.
When I was in college in Hyderabad, and if his film was releasing on Friday, a friend of mine would bunk class on Monday to get tick ets for the Saturday show.I also admired him for the dignity with which he carried himself. And I said in the message to him that given a chance, I will be happy to come and explain things to him." Bhogle says Bachchan sent him a delayed but long reply. He does not reveal what the message said. "It was polite," Bhogle says.
Bhogle, however, maintains it is worrisome that there is growing acceptance that broadcasters should align themselves on one side. "What I did explain [to Bachchan] was that on the Hindi telecast, we were very India-centric, though not biased, because the telecast was going only to this market. But we couldn't do that with the English telecast, as it was going to various countries. In the past, Indian listeners would get angry when foreign commentators did not speak enough about the Indian Team. We cannot be like that to the others."
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Advice to Dravid
"I can feel insecure at times," Bhogle says. This is surprising given his popularity and body of work. Somewhere, success must have changed him. Not much, he says. He credits Anita for keeping him grounded. "My wife will not let that happen," he says.
And it is for that reason he once told Rahul Dravid something.
"I remember telling Rahul many years ago, 'Rahul, do any thing, don't marry a fan'," Bhogle says. "You must have someone who'll tell you when you are doing something wrong. That you were arrogant that day. You were insensitive that day. But if you marry a fan, who's going to tell you that?
And I worry about some of our younger players because one of the problems with making money very early is everyone wants a piece of you. It happens a lot to our movie stars."
The golden generation
Bhogle's reply when asked who his friends in Indian cricket comes in an instant, "I don't know. Sometimes it's good not to have too many." And then with some pain he says, "But I do miss the generation that's gone. Sachin [Tendulkar], Rahul [Dravid], Anil [Kumble], Sourav [Ganguly], Srinath, [VVS] Laxman... It was a beautiful generation, where I never had to worry about what I'm saying. When Sachin was struggling, I once said, `Here's an emperor walking the streets like a common man'. I did not hear back from anyone that, `Sachin did not like that'.
Also Read: Harsha Bhogle Tweets About MS Dhoni's Slow Batting Vs RCB, The Internet Stands Divided
Veerthi
I could be completely frank, to the extent that Sourav on air asked me my opinion on something. I declined and told Sourav that he was the one who had played at the highest level. And he said, `How many World Cups have you covered? Go ahead, I want to know what you think'."
The young don't care about reputations
Not every player-turned-commentator has been gracious to Bhogle as Ganguly. Few viewers care about the position of the elbow yada-yada-yada, and yet ex-players make a big deal about their credentials over those who have not played professional cricket. "The image created in our cricket is if you haven't played, you can't live," Bhogle says. "It stems from insecurity and arrogance. How many trucks did Ratan Tata drive? Does it mean he can't run his company? It's a very narrow way of looking at things."
The only way for non-players to become commentators in this era, Bhogle says, is if TV bosses accept that the telecast is going to a wide audience. And you need people who relate to the wider audience, not a niche one. "The new generation of Indians is intolerant of reputations," Bhogle says."They'll say `so what if you have played 50 Tests. Are you telling me a good story?'".
