“For some reason Sachin Tendulkar is interested in my paintings,” says Jogen Chowdhury.

What can a man with 30,217 runs in Tests and ODIs possibly covet? Two Jogen Chowdhurys.

December 22 will mark a date with dream fulfilment for the master blaster when the master painter gifts him a canvas meant for the walls of his new Bandra home, at a function to which Sourav Ganguly’s BMW will drive Sachin Ramesh Tendulkar.

“For some reason Sachin is interested in my paintings,” Chowdhury told Metro. “He asked for two paintings for his new house. While I don’t usually entertain such requests, I couldn’t turn Sachin down… after all he is our favourite player.”

To ensure that the work would match the decor of the place it occupied, the painter who divides his time between Calcutta and Santiniketan had even asked for “a photograph of Sachin’s drawing room”.

Cricket’s greatest run scorer has imposed lots of “restrictions of subject, of colours, of what the women will wear”, so “ja mone hoy kora jachhe naa… but I am doing something for him”, said Chowdhury.

The subject of the paintings remains under wraps. “It’s not a portrait of Sachin,” is all that Chowdhury would let on. And it’s not a nude, we infer.

“It is getting a bit rushed, but I will finish one of the paintings in time for the December 22 show.”

The show, two days before the Calcutta ODI between India and Sri Lanka, will be Calcutta’s salute to Sachin Tendulkar for completing 20 years in international cricket.

The special evening for Sachin will be organised by Aryan Club. The little master had played for the club in 1996 at the P. Sen Trophy and the felicitation will set the ball rolling for its 125th year celebrations. “It’s a great honour for us that Sachin has agreed to be part of the evening,” said Samar Paul, the secretary of Aryan Club.

Sachin’s former opening partner’s Imperial Blue BMW will pick him up from the team hotel and bring him to the Oberoi Grand stage where Chowdhury’s painting apart, an Anamika Khanna special and accolades galore await him.

“Maharaj (Sourav) will be a big part of the evening and will be there to hand over the special plaque to Sachin,” revealed Nilaanjana Chakraborty, who is co-ordinating the event and also anchoring the show.

Sachin will be in blue, but not in Team India gear. City designer Anamika Khanna has made an “elegant ensemble” for the man of the moment — a kurta complete with uttariya.

“Nilaanjana gave us a brief for the outfit and we were sent his measurements. Sachin’s kurta is indigo blue,” Anamika told Metro. “It is not overly ornate… subtle and stylish if I may say so myself.”

While Sachin is expected to wear the kurta — complete with antiquated zardosi in the designer’s signature style — for the evening, likely to be attended by other Team India stars, the uttariya will be presented by police commissioner Gautam Mohan Chakrabarti.