BENGALURU: In the dynamic world of sports and entertainment, certain individuals transcend their roles to become iconic figures, leaving an indelible mark on the industry. Among these luminaries stands Charu Sharma, a visionary whose multifaceted contributions have reshaped the landscape of sports commentary and entrepreneurship.
With an unwavering passion for innovation and a keen understanding of audience engagement, Sharma has carved a niche for himself, earning admiration and acclaim across the globe. At the ongoing playoffs of the Pro Kabaddi League season 10, Sharma, director of the Pro Kabaddi League, talks about his ten-year journey with the league.
What inspired you to start Pro Kabaddi League?
It started with the Asian Games of 2006, I was reconnected to the game then, because I was called on to do commentary. That made me reconnect with the sport and realise just how strong, powerful and fabulous the game is. I realised that just about everybody from around the world was there, was also very fascinated with the game, saying, ‘Charu, tell us more’. We are in India doing a great disservice to our own game by not giving it the respect and the pedestal it deserves. I want to bring the respect back to the sport by just showcasing it to everybody once again.
Were there any challenges you came across while setting up PKL?
I got unwell, because of the kind of effort that it took. It also took me four years from the time Anand Mahindra first recommended it. I had to give up a lot of work, other people moved in, that’s fine. But the satisfaction of actually getting the league on the table, with the help of many agencies, of course, all the team owners, the broadcaster, was just so satisfying.
How has the journey been with PKL in its 10th season?
There was a lot of apprehension and excitement and everything else to begin with. Then the boat sailed fairly calmly for many years. And there’s always a pressure, especially when you have a landmark season like the 10th season, to make something fresh and new happen. I would like to avoid the desperation of trying to do something new. I think we’re still, in a sense, in consolidation mode. The league has sustained magnificently, unlike, sadly, many other leagues. So we take a lot of heart from the fact that we’ve done very well at a base level to keep going.
With Women’s Premier League going on, do you think women’s PKL too can be in the offing?
There are so many women who play the game with great custom and athleticism in India. We need to be sustainble first, before focusing our attention to the women’s league. By the way even cricket got a women’s league after 14 years (laughs). The standard needs to go up a notch or two, not only in India but international too, as PKL is international, and so the Women’s League will be international too. So maybe just another year or two, I’m not sure, but we’re very, very pleased and keen to make sure that there’s a Women’s League.
It has been years we have seen you doing cricket commentary...
A question best asked to people who actually employ people like me. I still do a lot of commentary. I did lose a lot of work when I was planning the Pro Kabaddi League.
According to you, what’s the art of good commentary?
There is a formula — if there are 100 points to be an ideal commentator, then 50 of those points belong to knowledge of the subject, 45 more points are for communication and the last 5 points are all the rest of the things – your personality, attitude, sense of humour, and the quality of your voice.