Ayi giri nandini nandhitha medhini Viswa vinodhini nandanuthe... (A famous religious song about the daughter of the mountain)
CHENNAI: That also happens to be a very popular caller tune. A feel good song, it brings a sense of calm in people’s minds. It also speaks about how good always comes out on top in the end.
But it was surprising to see Jeeva Kumar using the very same song to greet callers. Nothing against the hymn but there is a set image of a kabaddi player being all brawn and macho and Jeeva fits the description.
His tackles have attained legendary status among Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) followers, and raiders fear the sight of him. It doesn’t really match, but then, Jeeva isn’t your normal kabaddi star. When he isn’t playing the part of alpha male for U Mumba, he is back home, in Kanyakumari, being an organic farmer.
“I have entered the field of organic farming in the last few years,” he says to SS. “There is some ancestral land for me to use and I have been planning on becoming an organic farmer.” That was one of main reasons why Jeeva smiled when he realised the Mumbai-based PKL franchise had purchased him back for `40 lakh for the fourth edition. That would be substantial capital to further develop a dream that a few had dismissed as utopian.
But not all of that money will be used towards harbouring his dream. Some will be used to improve the livelihood of the kids near his locality. “I have plans to give away some of the money to a few kids in my neighbourhood. Give something to them to tide over tough times in life.”
That is a subtle recognition to an earlier time in the Jeeva household. The `9.20 lakh he got for playing in the first edition changed his life. “That really helped a lot,” says the 2010 Asian Games gold medallist. “We used to live in a small house that did not have the greatest of facilities. And ours was a joint family so I used that money to build a new house. Construction is going on right now.”
And it’s not hard to see why U Mumba — runners-up twice and champions once — have retained their faith in him. The way he talks about kabaddi wouldn’t be out of place at a TedX talk.
“We are all creatures of habit, especially early in the morning. For some, the ablution is most important. A few others, it’s the coffee with a newspaper by the side. For me... it’s the ground, playing kabaddi.”