Author Biswadeep Ghosh talks about his forthcoming biography MSD: The Man, The leader. This is an inspirational story which journeys back to MSD’s childhood, looks at his days as a ticket collector who played for the South Eastern Railway team in Kharagpur, talks about his days as a cricketer at the domestic level and the Indian team, discusses his triumphs and failures, shares the story of his stature as a demigod in his hometown, and ends with a chapter on leadership in which important names from various fields put things in perspective from different angles.
What made you choose MS Dhoni as the subject of your new biographyIJ
Because he hails from Ranchi. (laughs) On a serious note, I had promised to myself that I will write another biography — this is my fifth one — only if the subject excites me. Around ten years after I had written my last book on a person, one day I suddenly realized that doing a book on Dhoni will be a fascinating experience. My publishers Rupa agreed, and the book was born one year later.
Why were you convinced that Dhoni is a great subjectIJ
See, the fact is, he is a unique captain. In fact, I have always believed that Dhoni's contribution goes way beyond his cricketing triumphs. He has inspired talented youngsters from humble backgrounds all across the country. His success has convinced them that if they dream and have the determination to succeed, they can write the script of their future that will read like a fairytale.
How would you evaluate his success as a skipperIJ
Objectively speaking, I strongly believe that history will continue to have one debate forever. The question will be, who is the most successful Indian captain of all timeIJ Sourav Ganguly, who with his strategizing and also because of the support of a star-studded team, led India to many overseas Test winsIJ Or M S Dhoni, who won all the ICC trophies, and also had the best record at home while not doing well in overseas conditions because his team was nowhere near the one led by Ganguly in recent yearsIJ The fact that this debate will be a never-ending one defines the amount of success he has achieved.
Since you don't belong to Ranchi, was researching on Dhoni a very difficult taskIJ
Honestly, it wasn't. My hurdles were minimized by Chandrajit Mukherjee, a local journalist-lawyer who assisted me with his research during this phase. Also, since I was born and grew up in Patna while my grandfather was also posted in Ranchi for a long time, adapting to the culture was easy. Apart from conducting interviews here, one thing I used to do during my stay is quietly sneak out of the hotel in the mornings. I went and spoke to many local people who play at the Mecon Stadium, for instance. That gave me an excellent idea of his stature in the city.
Can you tell us a few things about the main features of the bookIJ
It is a journey through his childhood, youth and career. The fact that he could lead India to a World Twenty20 win at the outset of his career shows that there has always been a leader within him. Hence, there is a short section which analyzes his leadership qualities from a completely unique perspective. Now, don't ask me how it has been written. like film stars say, to know what it is all about, read the book.
Have you focused on controversiesIJ
Why should I ask questions when there are no answersIJ The focus of the book is the actually relevant side of his life - his struggles, his background, his triumphs and lows as a cricketer with special focus on his leadership. It seeks to communicate that if you have resolve and talent, the sky isn't inaccessible.
Since you have written a book that is meant to inspire, have you used complicated cricketing termsIJ
No, I haven't. It doesn't have a single jargon and has been written in simple language so that it can be understood by anybody who knows basic English. The entire graph of his life isn't known to the majority. Now, I hope it will.