by Jitesh Pillai
Blame it on the cookie cutter. He cast them in the same mould. Yup, no two ways about it. They’ve got to be soul brothers. Aamir Khan. Sachin Tendulkar. A tale of twin phenomena. And at long last, linked together with one national obsession. Cricket.

You’ve heard about spitting images. Now, meet our men of the moment. If Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar rewrote cricket history, Aamir Tahir Hussain Khan refashioned filmdom’s lingua franca. The long and short of it (bad pun), they are the men of the moment. The duo in the sun.

Czars cut from the same cloth? The swinging ‘70s. The year 1973. Sachin Tendulkar comes into the world. Aamir Khan makes his debut as a child star in Yaadon Ki Baarat. An intangible bond is established. Both Bandra boys - Sachin’s Sahitya Sahawas in Bandra East is a few kilometres away from Aamir’s Marina Apartments in Bandra West. Seeped in middle-class traditions. The well-scrubbed boys-next-door.

The mirror images continue through their schooling years. Bombay Scottish (Aamir) and ShardashramVidya Mandir (Sachin). Not academically inclined, it’s clear that their hearts lie elsewhere. Sachin breathes cricket, coincidentally so does Aamir. (At 15, AK and brother Faisal start a Timepass club. Its main attraction: cricket). Meanwhile, 10-year-old Sachin’s elder brother Ajit takes him to coach Ramakant Achrekar. Mansoor Khan, Aamir’s closest cousin, takes him under his wing. AK discovers the movies.

Double trouble. Sachin plugs his 12th standard examination. It makes front page news. Aamir Khan too doesn’t complete his 12th standard examination and opts out of Narsee Monjee College of Commerce.

You can’t miss the coincidences. The epoch making ‘80s. Aamir’s major movie debut runs parallel with Sachin’s international test debut. Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak is released (1988). A 16-year-old takes guard at National Stadium, Karachi (1989). Films and cricket will never be the same again. Twin stars are born.

A tale of two love stories. Reena elopes to marry Aamir Khan. Sachin Tendulkar marries the six years older Anjali. Both have a son and a daughter each. Aamir’s kids - Junaid and Ira. Sachin’s cherubs - Sara and Arjun. Ad filmmaker Prahlad Kakkar says, "Both are amazing fathers. And it’s not just bull about spending ‘quality time’ with his children. While other kids are rocked to sleep with a pat on the back, Sachin drives Arjun round and round the building in his Merc at night and puts him to sleep."

Two peas in a pod? Right on. Says Lagaan director Ashutosh Gowariker. "Both Sachin and Aamir, once they decide on achieving something, are like raging bulls. They won’t rest till they get it." When Sachin scores 114, against Australia at WACA in Perth, Aamir Khan kayoes the box office with Dil Hai Ki Manta Nahin. Both in the same year. 1991.

Good things indeed come in small packages. At about five feet four or thereabouts, both stand tall. Sachin Khan meets Aamir Tendulkar.

Twin talents also translate into mega-bucks. The mesmeric millennium. Aamir Khan made money out of cricket. Lagaan’s grossed over Rs 12 crore overseas and will cross the Rs 25 crore target mark in India. Sachin struck gold acting too. And of course, nixing rumours about being asked to act in Karan Johar’s Kabhi Khushi Kabhie Gham. He’s happier endorsing commercials from ball pens to pint-sized cars. Interestingly enough, both men endorse rival colas.

They are two sides of the same coin. Trust is another keyword with the duo. Says glamour shutterbug Atul Kasbekar, "Both Aamir and Sachin take a long time to trust, but once they do, they’re willing to coast along."

The X-factor? The hermit like privacy which the duo insist on. Sachin will beg off, "Ask me anything about my cricket, leave my personal life out of it." Ditto Aamir Khan. He won’t be caught dead known as a Page Three irregular.

If food be the mantra, the dynamic duo wins hands down. Kasbekar jokes, "When they come in for a shoot, the first question for the day is, ‘what’s for lunch?’." Which for Sachin could be anything from steak to seafood, while AK gorges on the kebab, biryani variety.

What separates the boys from the men? Raw talent. After 280 one day internationals, 10,803 runs and 31 centuries and still counting, the sky’s the limit for Sachin. And Aamir Khan? No godpapas, no personality dust-ups, no rat-race. Just old-fashioned good acting.

Sachin Tendulkar and Aamir Khan embody the dictum: There are no short cuts to success. Kakkar says, "Years later when my kids grow up and want to make a fast buck, I’ll cite the hardwork of these two men of substance."

Check the statistics for 2001: Juxtapose Sachin’s 155 against South Africa at Bloemfontein with Aamir’s rollicking Dil Chahta Hai whammy. Wait, there’s more. Aamir’s uproar against colonial racism in Lagaan. Sachin’s battle against gora hegemony (read Mike Denness). Both emerge triumphant. Checkmate.

Here’s then to the twin stars. Aamir Khan isn’t only about films. Sachin Tendulkar isn’t only about cricket. They are metaphors for life. That good guys finish first...always.

Separated at birth? Bandra Boy Small but perfectly formed Didn’t complete college

Debut in the late eighties

Chocolate-box looks

Is a foodie

Models for American colas

Youth icon

Is fond of music, movies and sports

Occasionally sports a Caesar cut and goatee

Made crores out of cricket

Made crores out of films

Mother’s pet, family man

Love marriage

A son and a daughter each

Private person

Has evolved from sex thimble to sex symbol

Perfectionist

Is known for integrity in a profession marred by scandals

Has appeared on KBC
(Courtesy: Times of India)