Lucknow Super Giants coach Justin Langer has indicated that he was very humbled when he went to see his team’s physiotherapist, Rajesh Chandrashekhar who lived in a humble one-room house in Dharavi slums of Mumbai, which greatly contrasted with an opulent lifestyle he had been used to.
This served as a sharp reminder of the disparity within the city, where the grandiosity of cricket contrasts sharply with the simplistic lives of those behind them.
Following a mixed bag performance at the league stage, LSG fell out from playoff contention in this year’s IPL.
“Having had what I would now deem as an extremely luxurious life, I was more humbled than I have ever been watching how other people live their daily lives,” wrote Langer in his post for The Nightly.
It started with Chandrashekhar insisting that Langer needed a haircut.
“Initially, I gave no thought to it but RC began asking me if I need a haircut day by day.”
After some time, however, he agreed to have his hair cut and within minutes he knocked on my door holding clippers and a pair of scissors plus spray bottle with water,”he remembered.
According to Langer, they talked at length about Chandrasekhar’s life story. “His story blew me away”, she expressed sighing how much inspired she was by what Chandrashekhar had said
This exchange allowed Langer to have insight into Chandrashekhar’s background and what shaped him. This story completely captivated him and stayed on his mind for long after.
“I come from the slums here in Mumbai,” RC claimed. That’s how our paths crossed.”
He also told me about living conditions ‘in slums’.”…Langer interjected.
“He said my house is as big as your hotel bathroom; my mother along with father my brother sister and brother-in-law stay there. He is a helper and his brother works in the local beauty parlor as a hairdresser.”
“The ensuite in this luxury hotel we were staying at was quite nice but as I looked around it, it might be about the same size of my laundry here in Perth,” moaned Langer.
“I could not fathom what he told me.”
A day before leaving India (on May 24th), Langer requested Chandrashekhar to introduce him to his family at his home.
“Would you like to come to my house?” he asked looking surprised.” added the former batter.
My brother came over from Australia for the last two games of the IPL, and he was just as curious as I was when we got involved in such a world that seems so far from our own reality that seeing is believing.”
The following day, Langer and his sibling visited Chandrashekhar’s house
“It was pointed out to us through narrow alleys, streets filled with concrete houses. It became also obvious that one could easily lose themselves within this secret town like many other mazes.”
What Langer recalls is that each lane was narrow, only enough for two human beings to pass. The alleyways were dim because directly above our heads are overhangs of buildings and jumbled power lines.
“When we reached the door of RC’s house, we removed our shoes and went in.”
He described the scene inside the house which was “four by five metres across.”
“…the first thing I saw was a single mattress on legs, not unlike a makeshift massage table. In one corner was a tiny kitchenette with a stove and small fridge; underneath the little kitchen bench were bags with bundles of onions and cloves of garlic.
“There were only six family members but they had one shelf per person where they could hang clothes,” he said.
“What struck me about our visit to RC’s house was that it appeared nothing at all but yet seemed everything anyone would want.”
