Some of the most enduring moments of cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar's career and life over a decade will be showcased in a five-day photo exhibition in Thiruvananthapuram from January 20.
Christened "Sachin: A Lens Story", the show will feature as many as 60 photographs capturing the happy, emotional and pride moments of the sporting legend, especially Team India's 2011 World Cup victory and his retirement.
The exhibition is being organised as part of the 'Run Kerala Run', a marathon to be held across the state on January 20 to create awareness about the 35th National Games which the state hosts.
Tendulkar, the Goodwill Ambassador of the Games, is expected to participate in the marathon here and join the exhibition after that.
Clicked by R S Gopan, the chief news photographer of Malayala Manorama Daily, the photos will be displayed in a special thematic gallery at the Central Stadium.
A self-confessed Tendulkar fan, Gopan has so far captured thousands of frames of the iconic player in his 14-year long career as a press photographer.
Gopan said he had been following the batting maestro for the past several years and the show is the outcome of his decade-long effort.
"The 60 pictures, to be exhibited, were handpicked from over thousands of Sachin photographs which I took. It was a bit herculean task. But, I focused on the photos related to Team India's 2011 World Cup victory and Sachin's retirement," he told PTI.
The special gallery, where the four-feet-long pictures are to be displayed, is designed based on the theme of a cricket pitch.
The lensman said though it is set as a temporary gallery now, discussion were on to make it a permanent arrangement with the support of Kerala Cricket Association (KCA).
"I am planning to hold similar shows in all district headquarters with the support of KCA. Taking the exhibition to the national level is also another dream," he said.
Gopan has been a recipient of several national and international recognitions, including Photography Excellence Award of the Mumbai Press Club, Lourdian Sports Photography Award and so on.
Image: Sachin Tendulkar
Photograph: Hitesh Harisinghani/Rediff.com
