From Ajay Jadeja to S Sreesanth: 7 Indian cricketers who acted in movies in this millennium

Mainstream Hindi films like Bhaag Milkh Bhaag and Khel along with regional films have seen the casting of popular Indian cricketers.

By Bollywood Hungama News Network -

February 19, 2024 - 3:30 PM IST

Movies and cricket are considered two of the biggest passions in India. The country is filled with fans of both the entities. Hence, it doesn’t come as a surprise to see cricketers getting involved in films in films. We have had cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar, Syed Kirmani, Sandeep Patil, etc making appearances in the Hindi films of the olden era. Similarly, there have been later generation of cricketers who have acted in films released in this millennium.

From Ajay Jadeja to S Sreesanth: 7 Indian cricketers who acted in movies in this millennium

Here are 7 cricketers who acted in films released from the year 2000 onwards (doesn't include cricketers who played themselves in cameos):

Vinod Kambli:

Former Indian cricketer Vinod Kambli acted in the Hindi film Annarth (2002), where he played a supporting role of Bandya. Directed by Ravi Dewan, the movie also starred big names from Bollywood like Sanjay Dutt, Suniel Shetty, Ashutosh Rana, along with Preeti Jhangiani. Despite the presence of such names, Kambli’s character of a tapori managed to get noticed. The film was also known for the song ‘Bewafa Bar Mein.’

Ajay Jadeja:

India’s star batsman of the 1990s Ajay Jadeja made his acting debut through Yusuf Khan’s crime drama Khel. He played the role of a happy-go-lucky youngster who gets framed in a crime he did not commit by the wealthy Dev Mallya (Suniel Shetty). The second half of the film sees Sunny Deol’s character of a cop ruling the roost. He aims to provide justice to Jadeja’s character.

Yograj Singh:

In Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013), Yograj Singh portrayed the character of Ranveer Singh, who is the coach of the protagonist, Milkha Singh, played by Farhan Akhtar. Yograj played a strict, disciplinarian but at the same time a compassionate coach. Yograj Singh is not only a former cricketer but also the father of India’s star all-rounder Yuvraj Singh.

S Sreesanth:

Former India pace bowler S Sreesanth made his debut as an actor in the Malayalam movie Team 5 (2017), but also went onto act in a series of films after that in the form of Aksar 2 (2017), Cabaret (2019), Kempe Gowda 2 (2019) and Kaathu Vaakula Rendu Kaadhal (2022). He is the only cricketer in this list to act in these many movies.

Kirti Azad:

Former Indian all arounder Kirti Azad acted in a Hindi film called Kirket, which was inspired by his own life. Interestingly, he played himself in the movie directed by Yogendra Singh. The film chronicled his life from humble beginnings in a small town in Bihar to the glory of being an Indian cricketer. The movie also threw light on the sidelining of Bihar when it came to cricket.

Harbhajan Singh:

Friendship (2021) is a Tamil action thriller directed by John Paul Raj and Sham Surya. While Harbhajan Singh's role in the film may not be as prominent as his cricket career, his presence contributed to the film's appeal, especially among fans of the sport interested in seeing him in a new role on the big screen. The movie also starred Sathish and Losliya Mariyanesan. Before Friendship, Harbhajan had played a cameo in a Tamil and Telugu movie Dikkiloona (2021).

Irfan Pathan:

Cobra (2022) is a Tamil-language action thriller film directed by R. Ajay Gnanamuthu, and it marks Irfan Pathan's debut in the film world as an actor. The film saw him play a prominent character of an Interpol officer Aslan Yilmaz, who is tasked to investigate the assassinations of the Chief Minister of Odisha, the Mayor of France and the Prince of Scotland.

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