Double whammy for Sachin lookalike: Loses job, tests +ve for Covid

Deepkamal Kaur

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Tribune News Service

Nawanshahr, June 24

After spending 20 years in Mumbai entertaining people because of his stark resemblance with ace cricketer Sachin Tendulkar, Covid-19 has brought Balvir Chand (50) back to his native village Sahlon.

In Mumbai, the Tendulkar’s doppelganger used to act in films, commercials, attend shows and perform mimicry and singing. He was also appointed as brand ambassador of a food chain but lost his job because of downsizing in the wake of the pandemic. “My elder son, too, lost his job and the younger one, who is a choreographer, was not getting assignments. Locked up in one room for five months, we had nothing to do and no income to pay rent. So as soon as the trains restarted, we decided to return to our village and spend time with our kin,” he shared, saying that he, his wife, two sons and a daughter started the journey homewards on June 10.

The Hero group offered me a trip to England during the 1999 Cricket World Cup. There, Sunil Gavaskar called me to the commentary box, after which the media carried a lot many stories about a second Tendulkar. —Balvir Chand

But fate had something else in store for the family. “We boarded the Paschim Express and on reaching Ludhiana, we were tested for Covid. Since none of us had any symptoms and we had strictly observed all precautions, we were confident that we will not contract the disease. But on the third day of our home quarantine, we got to know that our reports have came up positive,” said Chand, adding that an ambulance took them to Guru Nanak Mission Hospital at Dhahan Kaleran. The family has been home quarantined till July 2.

Chand shares that even though he was wearing a mask, a young patient at the hospital asked an attendant how come that Tendulkar was there at the hospital. He laughed and later narrated his life tales to the patient, “Son of a labourer, I had passed matriculation and had been working as a wardboy at DMC in Ludhiana since 1992. After I got married and had children, people started telling me that I resembled Tendulkar. Later, I began copying him. The Hero group in Ludhiana offered me a chance to work in a commercial. I accepted it and in exchange, they offered me a trip to England during the 1999 Cricket World Cup. There, Sunil Gavaskar called me to the commentary box, after which the media carried a lot many stories about a second Tendulkar. I stayed in England for three-and-a-half months and became popular as people used to take my autographs and click photos. When I returned, I learnt that I had lost my job at DMC due to absenteeism. That was the time when I told my family that I want to go to Mumbai and reap the benefits of my looks.”

Chand says he worked hard, even accepting invitations to marriage functions as Tendulkar’s lookalike. As his substitute, I have worked in advertisements of Fevistick and Volkswagen, he says. “My first meeting was very interesting. When I asked him to sign some photographs, he did it thinking the photos were his. When I told him those were my photos, he was amazed. Later, he called me for a meeting. I met him as his duplicate in shooting for commercials. On the basis of my looks, I also got a chance to work in films including ‘Farari ki Swari’, ‘Bombay to Goa’, ‘Main Madhuri Dixit Banana Chahti Hoon’ and ‘Yeh Kaisi Mohabbat Hai’. I have written 16 songs on him. When he retired, I too thought that I must to stick to one job. But sadly, I have lost it even that now,” he said.

Asked if he intended to work in Punjab, he simply refuses, saying, “I will definitely go back to Mumbai. If I remain here, I will be offered only petty jobs. I do not want to live in penury again. Surprisingly, one of my sons resembles Sachin’s son. We shared their pictures over the phone. My sons, too, have better opportunities in Mumbai. So, I will go back with them after few months and look for a new job.”