Divine: There's no platform quite like Bollywood

Divine set to amp up the cricket fever in Manchester with a live performance of his 'SockThem' anthem, is excited about taking his love for the sport to the next level

Rapper Divine, set to amp up the cricket fever in Manchester with a live performance of his 'SockThem' anthem, is excited about taking his love for the sport to the next level.

Memories of playing gully cricket are still fresh in the mind of the "Mere gully mein" singer, whose real name is Vivian Fernandes and whose life inspired Bollywood hit "Gully Boy".

"Definitely a lot of people have heard of me, and heard about my story, my music. There is no platform quite like Bollywood," Divine said, telling IANS of how the success of the Ranveer Singh-starrer gave a push to his visibility.

Divine, who has created the SockThem featuring India skipper Virat Kohli for the ongoing cricket series, performed at Victoria Warehouse, Manchester on Saturday evening.

From playing gully cricket to singing a self-created cricket anthem in the middle of the World Cup, the journey makes Divine nostalgic.

"I never thought I would be doing the things I have gone on to accomplish. So every milestone, and every step of the journey so far feels like a dream. I have worked very hard for everything but to find myself around people I look up to and admire, and at an India-Pakistan match at the World Cup is unbelievable.

"It has really been exciting to work with PUMA and Virat for the SockThem anthem, and performing it live for cricket fans is going to be just an amazing experience," he said.

With the anthem, he said he wanted to capture the resilience and confidence that the Indian cricket team embodies, and qualities that he felt are essential for overcoming any challenge.

As for his own cricket memories, he said: "I love cricket, and I have spent hours and hours of my childhood playing the sport. And here I am at the World Cup."

What's next on the anvil?

"All my focus is on ensuring my debut album is done right and that I can present it in the best possible way. Alongside that I'm working on a few exciting projects with the talent and team at Gully Gang Entertainment."

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