Batting icon Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar turns 50 on April 24. The Master Blaster has amassed some of the biggest feats in the world of cricket, including most centuries and most runs.
As a result, he was courted by several brands for endorsements. Despite having a painfully shy side to him, Tendulkar soon became a regular feature of television commercials. Some of them are still remembered.
1) ‘Chal, foot le’, featuring Shah Rukh Khan
This Pepsi commercial aired during the ICC World Cup 1999 and featured Shah Rukh Khan with Tendulkar and a host of Indian cricket stars. The advertisement begins with SRK trying to enter the Lord's dressing room for some free cola. But he is denied entry by a very British gate-keeper, who tells him to ‘chal, foot le!’. He then wears a curly wig and enters the room pretending to be Tendulkar. Captain Mohammad Azharuddin then taps him on the shoulder and sends him out to bat. On the way out, SRK meets the real Tendulkar, who enjoys the impostor’s discomfort. "I'll take it from here," Tendulkar says, much to Shah Rukh’s relief. But Tendulkar grabs the Pepsi can instead of the bat, leaving SRK quaking in the boots at the prospect of taking the field.
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2) ‘Sachin Aaya Re’
This was another cola commercial featuring the Master Blaster. The jingle, ‘Sachin Aaya Re!’, was based on the famous Hindi song ‘Ramaiya Vatavaiya’ from the movie ‘Awaara’. It showed Tendulkar sipping on the soft drink on a cricket ground. Fans would often chant the jingle in stadiums.
3) Boost, featuring Tendulkar and Kapil Dev
The energy drink commercial stars a young Tendulkar alongside his famous senior Kapil Dev. They are shown running on a track and competing on the cricket field too. The ad ends with the duo saying the famous line, "Boost is the secret of my energy, our energy."
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4) Action Shoes Commercial
This was one of Tendulkar’s early commercials. It shows him rescuing a young Kunal Kemmu after he is trapped at a construction site while running behind a kite. “Action man!” the rest of the children shout. The advertisement ends with the cricketer and the boy flying kites together.
5) Airtel
The commercial shows Tendulkar connecting with friends via the network provider as he calls them over for a game of football. He is then shown to be playing the beautiful game along with kids in pouring rain. The commercial signs-off with the statement, "With Airtel, you are among friends, anytime, anywhere!"
