| It was a victory tour of sorts that India didn't really
notice. During this lacklustre election, we decided to feature two men who represent the
best of India. In this their most successful year, Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi didn't
just emphasise they are the best pair in the world, they also brought the crowds back to
tennis doubles worldwide with their aggression, style and trademark chest-bumping. When
they finally came home last week, everyone from the chatterati to the man on the street
got a chance to meet and talk with them during a euphoric four-city tour. Obviously the
duo don't get the kind of crowds cricketers do, but everywhere they went people recognised
and flocked to them. As our cover story explains, people love Paes and Bhupathi for two
simple reasons: one, they win, unlike most other Indian sportspeople, including our
celebrated cricketers who are invariably also-rans; and two, they are well behaved and
very approachable. To tell the story of India's tennis champions, Associate Editor Rohit Brijnath dogged
their footsteps over four of their six days across India, watching them meet, talk and
joke with a variety of people at celebrity dinners, sponsor appearances, quiz contests and
even bowling alleys. They freely signed autographs and shook hands with their fans.
"Their celebrity status sits lightly on their shoulders despite their phenomenal
achievements," actor Naseeruddin Shah said after playing a celebrity match with them.
Brijnath has known Paes since he was 13 -- "even then
his aggression set him apart" -- and Bhupathi for nearly six years. It was this
rapport with the pair that prompted them to agree to an exclusive photo-shoot for India
Today by Principal Photographer Bandeep Singh. They had previously refused to bare their
chests for the world's leading tennis magazine. But they did it for us.
(Aroon Purie) |
