Will VK ever have a fanatical fanbase like SRT, MSD and Dada?

[UrmiSinhaRay]

Bengal has produced the least cricketing players who have succeeded in international cricket.  Neither the Bengal Ranji team  acheived anything of note. Saurav Ganguy and Shami are only two who have had good success at internationals.  So whenever the rare cricketer comes from there is huge craze in fan following.  Virat on the other hand is a Delhite, the second most Ranji winners after Mumbai. Delhi has produced a lot of successful cricketers as well as compared to Bengal.  So the fan following is distributed amongst more players.  If Bengal had loads of star cricketers then the following would have got distributed as well. With just rare cricketers coming from there they get all the attention.

Even Shami isn't popular here - I mean like, hey, I really got aware of his existence after that Haseen Jahan incident.
Though his less popularity is also because of being a Non Bengali, I personally think even a Bengali cricketer wouldn't have been able to draw this much fame.
People here are more drawn to cultural/academic stuff nowadays and a large part of the people would have brushed him aside as crass and classless because sports is seen as a dumb pursuit.


Sourav gained the prominence partially because he was an educated vocal person from an elite family.
If Virat had been a Bengali, he would've been disrespected and joked about more.

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[Straight Drive]

9 minutes ago, UrmiSinhaRay said:

 

 

 

Even Shami isn't popular here - I mean like, hey, I really got aware of his existence after that Haseen Jahan incident.
Though his less popularity is also because of being a Non Bengali, I personally think even a Bengali cricketer wouldn't have been able to draw this much fame.
People here are more drawn to cultural/academic stuff nowadays and a large part of the people would have brushed him aside as crass and classless because sports is seen as a dumb pursuit.


Sourav gained the prominence partially because he was an educated vocal person from an elite family.
If Virat had been a Bengali, he would've been disrespected and joked about more.

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So if Shami is not popular as you say, that just leaves Sourav as  Bengals only successful cricketer who represented and did reasonably well for India.  No wonder he gets a very strong support and all of the fan following of Bengal. 

 

 

[express bowling]

18 minutes ago, UrmiSinhaRay said:

Even Shami isn't popular here - I mean like, hey, I really got aware of his existence after that Haseen Jahan incident.
Though his less popularity is also because of being a Non Bengali, I personally think even a Bengali cricketer wouldn't have been able to draw this much fame.

 

Shami is not that popular because he hardly plays any LOIs these days.

 

When he was the 4th highest wicket taker in WC 15, lots of people in Kolkata were starting to follow his career. But unfortunately, he was sidelined for 14 months due to injury after that.

 

Moreover, bowlers don't get the same fanbase as batsmen in India.

 

18 minutes ago, UrmiSinhaRay said:

People here are more drawn to cultural/academic stuff nowadays and a large part of the people would have brushed him aside as crass and classless because sports is seen as a dumb pursuit.

 

Cultural interest has reduced a lot in Kolkata in the last 10 years.  And cricket is definitely not considered as crass.  Never was.

 

18 minutes ago, UrmiSinhaRay said:

Sourav gained the prominence partially because he was an educated vocal person from an elite family.

 

And primarily due to his captaincy.

 

18 minutes ago, UrmiSinhaRay said:

If Virat had been a Bengali, he would've been disrespected and joked about more.

 

 

Beg to differ strongly.

 

 

[UrmiSinhaRay]

@Express Bowling :
Actually the interest in cricket has lowered down a lot in Kolkata after DADA-KKR fight.
People just don't care anymore.
I remember a time when even Ranji players used to get limelight and Ranadeb Bose was a regular in Kolkata social circuit and modelled as well.
But now general public isn't aware of any other player in the team apart from the good ole' Manoj Tiwary , Wriddhiman Saha, Ashok Dinda.
I will agree about Shami losing popularity after being sidelined ,but the thing is a lot of people don't feel connected to him because of his almost mercenary status


Actually Culture is on a rise in Bengal for the past few years.
Movies, Literature,music - pseudo-intellectualism is dominating.


A lot of my friends consider following cricket uncool
Upper middle class are hardly interested in it -they would rather do rowing or football
Even basketball, tennis, badminton, martial arts are on the rise.


Well, If Virat was a Bengali, he would've enjoyed a reputation similar to Dev (you must know who he is ) who is seen as epitome of crassness and desperation in many circles but has diehard fans in Rural/semi rural areas+lower socio-economic groups.

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[SUMO]

Everything is in decline there except music. They still have awesome singers and musicians. But culture, literature, sports, cricket,etc going down. Even movies are shifting towards bollywood type mass entertainers. Rituparno ghosh death was a great loss. Less said about pseudo-intellectualism the better. It was long dead in the 70s.

[express bowling]

13 hours ago, UrmiSinhaRay said:

@Express Bowling :
Actually the interest in cricket has lowered down a lot in Kolkata after DADA-KKR fight.
People just don't care anymore.
I remember a time when even Ranji players used to get limelightand Ranadeb Bose was a regular in Kolkata social circuit and modelled as well.
But now general public isn't aware of any other player in the team apart from the good ole' Manoj Tiwary , Wriddhiman Saha, Ashok Dinda.

 

Interest in cricket has lowered drastically in Kolkata among white collared people.  I agree.

 

But we were discussing whether cricket is considered crass.   And it is not considered crass at all.

 

Different aspects.

 

Quote

I will agree about Shami losing popularity after being sidelined ,but the thing is a lot of people don't feel connected to him because of his almost mercenary status
 

 

Yes,  He is not born or brought up in Kolkata.  That plays a part in any city.

 

But if he was a successful and regular  cricketer in ODIs and T20s then his popularity would still have been higher.

 

 

Quote

Actually Culture is on a rise in Bengal for the past few years.
Movies, Literature,music - pseudo-intellectualism is dominating.
 

 

Only among a small section of people.  People who have made a career in cultural areas and among some students in colleges etc.

 

Earlier,  people of every para used to take part regularly in plays, recitations, singing etc.  Involvement of age 25+ people, who had started their working lives,  were much higher.  

 

Now, work hours have increased tremendously and there are much lesser people with free times on their hands. A lot of free time is spent drinking in bars.

 

Mobiles and social media have played a big part too.  A lot of free time is used up in these.

 

I myself was an avid reader of both English and Bangla literature for many years.  And went to music concerts and good movies.   Now, whatever free time I have, I seem to be posting on ICF    

 

Quote

A lot of my friends consider following cricket uncool
Upper middle class are hardly interested in it -they would rather do rowing or football
Even basketball, tennis, badminton, martial arts are on the rise.

 

Yes.  But only among a small section of people.  I see something similar in my direct social circle.  But I have the opportunity to interact with a different types of people.  And it is very different among other sections of people.

 

Quote

Well, If Virat were a Bengali, he would've enjoyed a reputation similar to Dev (you must know who he is ) who is seen as epitome of crassness and desperation in many circles but has diehard fans in Rural/semi rural areas+lower socio-economic groups.

 

 

Kohli is an international star and an Indian superstar with the biggest endorsement portfolio in India. And he can talk well if he wants, with some faux pas on occasions ofcourse.   Dev is a local star who is better off in silent mode.

 

Big difference.

Edited November 11, 2018 by express bowling

[express bowling]

9 hours ago, SUMO said:

Everything is in decline there except music. They still have awesome singers and musicians. But culture, literature, sports, cricket,etc going down. Even movies are shifting towards bollywood type mass entertainers. Rituparno ghosh death was a great loss. Less said about

 

Work culture and career ambition have improved drastically in this decade.  Quality of services available is quite good and efficient now, especially in the private sector.

 

Another area of significant improvement is non-commercial or semi-commercial movies based on good novels or stories or dealing with important aspects of lives. 

[Straight Drive]

13 hours ago, SUMO said:

Everything is in decline there except music. They still have awesome singers and musicians. But culture, literature, sports, cricket,etc going down. Even movies are shifting towards bollywood type mass entertainers. Rituparno ghosh death was a great loss. Less said about pseudo-intellectualism the better. It was long dead in the 70s.

I am not aware about the music in Bengal nor the singers or the culture and literature so i cannot comment on that.  What i do know is the cricket part.Bengal has been one of the failed side in domestic cricket.Bengal has won Ranji just twice and Ranji trophy is played every year since decades. Just two successful cricketers like Sourav Ganguly and Shami.Cricket wise Bengal has always been way backwards and even today this remains the case.It's upto the local cricket association to review and find solution as to why bengal is a failed cricketing place, if at all they want to contribute to Indian cricket atleast in future.

[mishra]

On 11/10/2018 at 3:40 PM, UrmiSinhaRay said:

@Express Bowling :
Actually the interest in cricket has lowered down a lot in Kolkata after DADA-KKR fight.
People just don't care anymore.
I remember a time when even Ranji players used to get limelight and Ranadeb Bose was a regular in Kolkata social circuit and modelled as well.
But now general public isn't aware of any other player in the team apart from the good ole' Manoj Tiwary , Wriddhiman Saha, Ashok Dinda.
I will agree about Shami losing popularity after being sidelined ,but the thing is a lot of people don't feel connected to him because of his almost mercenary status


Actually Culture is on a rise in Bengal for the past few years.
Movies, Literature,music - pseudo-intellectualism is dominating.


A lot of my friends consider following cricket uncool
Upper middle class are hardly interested in it -they would rather do rowing or football
Even basketball, tennis, badminton, martial arts are on the rise.


Well, If Virat was a Bengali, he would've enjoyed a reputation similar to Dev (you must know who he is ) who is seen as epitome of crassness and desperation in many circles but has diehard fans in Rural/semi rural areas+lower socio-economic groups.

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Who is replacing Dada or Uttam kumar? Is Mohun Bagha Mohaammedan Sprting East Bengal clashes also happen on streets?

Last time i wen to kolkata, i felt that Passion is leaving the city