Dar bowled over by Bollywood

The devout Muslim — who observed the Ramzan fast during the Tests as well as on Sunday — hit the ground in the midst of a rather hectic tour of the city, when he made time for a bit of shopping and a visit to the Haji Ali dargah.

Saying that the warmth he has received in India so far has been ‘‘overwhelming’’, Dar added, ‘‘everybody is so passionate about the game’’. ‘‘Even Nagpur had a considerable turnout, so I was a bit apprehensive about being in Mumbai’’, especially if he had — perchance — adjudged Sachin Tendulkar or Rahul Dravid out by mistake. That it all went off ‘‘satisfactorily’’ helped Dar take his remaining days in Mumbai happier.

Dar is a Bollywood junkie, and plans to buy a Mughal-E-Azam CD since it’s now out in colour. He claims to have stacks of Mohammed Rafi and Mukesh tapes in his Lahore home and wants to return to India soon: ‘‘I’d like to see more of my neighbours.’’

Irrespective of whether he manages that or not, his swashbuckling knock here on Sunday will ensure a lot of people — who were fortunate enough to catch it live — will remember the visitor from across the border for a long time.

If and when Dar does return, he hopes the ‘‘unnecessary’’ hype around the wickets doesn’t happen again. ‘‘The Nagpur pitch aided seamers and the Mumbai pitch helped spinners. That’s all. You’ve got to keep an eye on the ball, that’s how cricket should be played,’’ he adds.