I will pray before bowling to Kohli: Brett Lee

Brett Lee is on a whirlwind Indian tour not as a cricketer but as an actor this time to promote his debut film, UnIndian.

In an exclusive chat with Indian Express.com, the charming former Australian paceman spoke about his love for India, his first onscreen kiss and why he will say a small prayer before bowling to swashbuckling Indian skipper Virat Kohli.

You have a huge fanbase in India most of whom are women. Sonakshi Sinha had once called you ‘yummy’. How do you take such praise?
It’s lovely. It’s always nice to hear flattering comments. It’s sometimes overwhelming and sometimes embarrassing too.

What do you call India your home away from home?
It’s the culture, the people here, food, weather and everything else about India that makes me come back. The passion that the Indian people share for sports and the way they love films, it is not hard to get caught up in the Indian hype and I love it about this place.

Was acting a hidden desire that came to fore once you retired from international cricket?
It was on cards when I was playing cricket. I had finished cricket in terms of international cricket when Anupam Sharma(director) who I have known for long met me for coffee and asked if I wanted to be in his film as the lead actor. I spat my coffee out on hearing him. But gradually we discussed the options and I had to make the call. Ultimately I decided to give it a shot.

Cricket is all about a single take unlike acting where you have the opportunity of multiple takes. Which one is more difficult?
My respect for actors has gone really up. In acting, there is a lot of weighing around, lots of different angles and different takes that you have to make to get the scene right. In cricket, you go on the ground and it is like action and six hours later they say cut whereas in a film the camera is always rolling. You are doing different things and learning different techniques. The similarity between cricket and film lie in the fact that in both you work in partnerships. So myself and Tannishtha(Chatterjee) we were both working towards achieving a common goal and it was exciting.

Enacting the Holi sequence or dancing to Bollywood beats or kissing Tannishtha, which one did you find the most challenging?
The kissing scene because it is the emotional scene. It is getting yourself into emotional state. It’s got to look real. The chemistry has got to be there. You have to get into the moment. We had an acting coach come down before we did that scene. It was intimate and there was a lot of nervousness running around which is good because in the movie when they become one there is that nervous energy when a person first kisses another person. So there was that nervous energy and we got through. Tannishtha was stirring me all the time. She kept saying 15 minutes to go for that big scene…five minutes to go. We finally got through and we are really happy with the outcome.

But someone who is not happy with the outcome is the CBFC who wants the duration of the love making scenes to be toned down. Did you envisage a problem like this?
See, it’s an Australian film first of all. It’s produced and directed by an Indian and obviously Anupam(director) is an Indian and he knowns Indian culture. I was born in Australia. The actress(Tannishtha) is Indian. So it’s pretty much been made by Indian people. I am not the one to judge and certainly won’t be going down that road which is right or wrong but I am stepping aside and leaving it them to find out what is wrong and if it is tasteful. If it doesn’t work and it’s not right then it is obviously it is up to them to make that call.

According to you, has the scene been tastefully shot?
It’s been very tastefully done. It’s about two human beings becoming one which happens in every day life and which happens in this film.

A lot of cricket biopics are being made in India. Would you…
(Cuts in) I wouldn’t want to see one of me. But I would go and watch one of Sachin Tendulkar and Ms Dhoni. Virat Kohli should do one down the line.

Do you think a cricketer’s life has enough material to be converted into a biopic?
Look someone like Sachin Tendulkar who leads a very public life on the cricket field but off the field he is a very private person. So anyone who hasn’t had that pleasure as I have had to become friends with Sachin over many many years would want to know what Sachin is like off the field.
Quick five

You are running in to bowl to Virat Kohli. How, what and where would you bowl?
First I will pray. There will be a lot of praying going. Please don’t hit me for a six. Virat Kohli is so powerful. He is strong in all parts of the field. He is a 360 degree player. If in One day cricket you have to detain him or make him not score runs, I would probably bowl the wide line yorker. If tries he to hit me over cover, I will push it wide.

One Indian cricketer who should try acting?
May be Virat Kohli. He is brilliant on the pitch. He has got that control and aggression. I love the way he plays cricket. I think he is passionate, he doesn’t go over the line and he is the best batsman in the world currently.

One batsman you would pay to watch?
Sachin Tendulkar. He is the best.

One bowler you would pay to watch?
Shane Warne. He is in my opinion the best ever leg-spinner.

If a biopic is ever made on your life, who do you think can play Brett Lee?
Probably me. At least I will know what I am doing.