Ranveer Singh is every cricket fan who can’t come to terms with knowing they will not see MS Dhoni in the India jersey again.
The Bollywood actor posted a touching tribute for the former Indian skipper after he announced his international retirement on Saturday, 15 August. With three pictures of him and Dhoni ranging from his younger days when he was an assistant director to later in both their careers, Ranveer has expressed his love and respect for Dhoni in a long post on his social media.
‘This little gem of a photo is one of my prized possessions. It was taken around the year 2007/08 at ND Studio in Karjat. I was about 22 years old, working as an assistant director. I took up this particular job only because the ad film featured the one & only MS Dhoni. I was overworked and underpaid, but I didn’t care- I just wanted to be in His presence. I was even injured at the time, but I worked through the pain in the hope that as a reward for my sincere efforts, I would be granted a chance to briefly meet MSD and maybe get a photo with him. When I finally met him, I was completely awestruck. He was so humble, so down-to-earth, full of grace and exuded an unmistakable aura of kindness. My love, respect and reverence for him grew even stronger.
After I did my first movie, Sapna (who was our common hairstylist at the time) called me one day and said ‘hey I know you’re a massive MSD fan, he’s shooting at Mehboob studio, come & meet him if you’d like’. Man-oh-man! I just dropped everything and rushed to the studio to meet him! He was jovial and warm and praised my performance in BBB. We hung out, I had my cap and jersey signed by him, like a true fanboy. That day, I felt like I was walking on the clouds!
Since then, every time that I have the good fortune of meeting him, I am left energised and enthused, as if a big brother has blessed me with energy and motivation to go out and be the best that I can be.
MSD is one of the greatest sportsmen to have ever lived. I’m lucky to have witnessed his playing career in my lifetime. A paragon of excellence. An icon of the sport. My hero forever.
Thank you Mahi Bhai for bringing glory to our great nation and filling a billion hearts with pride. #MSD the #GOAT’, writes Ranveer in a touching tribute to Dhoni.
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