The news that Brett Lee is headlining the Indo-Australian co-production UnIndian is not in the least surprising for anybody who has followed the acclaimed fast bowler’s career. Lee’s romance with India is a two-decade long affair, having begun in 1994 when he first toured the subcontinent in 1994 as part of the Australian Under 19 team. The affair resulted in a singing duet with Asha Bhosle in 2006 called You’re the one for me and charity projects for impoverished Indian children through his Mewsic India Foundation.
In the English language movie UnIndian, which will be released in India on August 19, Lee plays an Australian teacher who falls in love with a single mother (Tannishtha Chatterjee) in Sydney. Directed by Anupam Sharma, the Krian Pictures release got a dream launch in Australia when it was launched by the country’s prime minister, Tony Abbott. In an interview with Scroll.in, Lee steered clear of cricket (he is contractually bound to avoid any talk of the game by the Star network, for which he is a commentator), but he opened up a wee bit on his entertainment plans.
You were previously seen in a music video with Asha Bhosle and you’re now in a full-fledged acting role. Are there more projects on the anvil?
Hopefully, yes, that’s obviously the aim. But right now obviously, all the attention is on UnIndian. I had a lot of pleasure in doing UnIndian and especially working with someone as talented as Tannishtha Chatterjee. I did have offers, but the reason I chose UnIndian was because it interested me. It’s a beautiful romantic comedy and it’s an Australian film.
How would you describe being in front of the camera?
There is obviously a difference between being in the nets and on set. Like cricket, it’s a lot about building partnerships, feeding off positive energy from each other to ensure everyone does a better job. It’s important to know the person you’re working with and understanding them.
You’ve made plenty of trips to India and it’s almost become a second home. What do you love most about the country?
I love the culture here. The people are so kind and welcoming.
You’re part of a rock band. Have you thought about taking that further, maybe composing for films or singing?
Yes, I’ve sung one of the songs in the UnIndian soundtrack. That was a lot of fun and I’m eagerly awaiting the release in India on August 19 to see how it is received. The music has been getting a lot of attention. Let’s see if it does well, and if it becomes popular, I’ll think about taking it forward.
Now that you’re an actor, do you want to explore other aspects of filmmaking?
Through my cricket career and even now, I’m actually not a person who gets too far ahead of myself. I like to stay in the present and I’m really focused on this film right now. If it does well, I’d like to do other type of films – maybe a thriller. We’ll see what happens then.