Coming soon: Tirkey’s debut in Ollywood

Uthra G Chaturvedi

He is no longer frail, the hair is styled differently and there is no sweat pouring down his face after strenuous practice. But behind the designer outfit that he sports, Dilip Tirkey remains the soft-spoken person he has always been.

He was the wall Indian hockey relied on for more than 15 years to keep the opposition at bay, and Tirkey excelled in the role. Now, post-retirement, the Oriya superstar is excelling in his new role of a film star. His debut film, Toro Moro Katha Heba Chup Chap (You and I will talk silently) that will release next week has already received rave reviews.

“It was a completely different experience. On the field, we are used to sweating it out without bothering about how we look, how the hair is, what we are wearing. The first time I faced the camera was something new,” said Dilip, who is in Bhopal for selecting the probables as the government observer.

Already a superstar in Orissa, the Ollywood (Oriya’s movie industry) film is expected to raise Dilip’s profile even further. “It was supposed to be released earlier but the director was unwell and couldn’t complete something known as post-production work. I’m slowly picking up the terminology, see, there is still much to learn,” he says laughing, the simplicity intact.

While Dilip does not play the lead, his role happens to be one that comes naturally to him – sacrificing for the cause of someone else. Dilip plays a silent but strong elder brother who sacrifices everything to ensure his sibling becomes the chief minister of the state. “Perhaps the director thought I was not acceptable as a hero,” he laughs, adding maybe the next time he is approached for a film, he would demand a heroine be cast opposite him!

Acting though is not the only thing occupying Dilip’s time post-retirement. In fact, he says, he is busier than ever. Apart from being the observer here, Dilip is also coaching kids from poor families by bringing them together in Bhubaneswar on an ad-hoc basis.

Apart from these ventures, he is also the brand ambassador for Bhubaneswar Jaguars, one of the teams in the Orissa Premier League (a cricket event inspired by the IPL), and has to appear for promotions and advertisement shoots. “In fact, now I feel playing hockey was perhaps much easier, at least I did not have to worry about planning a schedule!” he says.

Not full-time

As for his acting career, Dilip is clear he doesn’t want to make it full-time. “I wanted an experience, I have got it. Maybe, if I get another chance and it feels good, I might do it. But for now I am devoted to giving back to hockey.”