The upcoming Kabir Khan film 83 is about India’s first cricket World Cup victory. The 83 film team came down to Chennai to launch the first look of the Tamil version of the film amidst chanting crowds and a lot of fanfare.
The evening was hosted at Sathyam Cinemas, and everyone from the film as well as some of the cricketing legends from the winning team were present at the launch.
Producer Sashikanth of Y Not Studios said, “I cannot believe that I am standing with my cricketing heroes. My father shared with me his memories of the world cup win, and to be producing a movie about this historic moment is a huge thing for me.”
The producer was also full of praise for the cast of the film. The team captain, Ranveer Singh, a first-timer to Chennai, was his usual excited self. He said, “This is my first visit to Chennai and Kamal Hassan sir has promised a big party. I am really thrilled to be a part of this film. For us Indians, the win in 83 means a lot, and to be able to recreate that on screen has been an immensely satisfying journey.”
He also spoke about the work involved in getting the nuances right, since this was a story that everyone is familiar with. He said, “It’s been an experience for all the boys. Kapil Dev is an icon, to play him was extremely challenging. I had to practice a lot and get his bowling action spot on. We spent so much time practicing, there is definitely a brotherhood amongst us.”
Actor Jiiva, who has played the role of Kris Srikanth said, “This movie came to me through Vishnu. I was really surprised to know that I was going to play Srikanth sir. Apart from his shot play, I also had to learn some of his mannerisms, like his smoking. All I will say is, my teammates made sure that we had a good laugh about this on the first day of our shoot!”
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Also present was the film’s director, Kabir Khan. On making this film, he said, “As a young boy, I was amazed with how the win inspired our country. They were so young, all in their 20s when they won the world cup. That team spirit and friendship is still going strong. I am thankful to Kamal sir for supporting this film.”
Cricketer Kris Srikanth, who was also present at the event, said, “If there was one man who believed that the Indian team is going to win the World Cup in 83, it was none other than Kapil Dev. As soon as the project was announced, I really wanted to know who was going to play Kapil. When I knew it was Ranveer, I was really excited. He’s a very good actor and I can see that he has done justice to his part.”
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Kapil Dev also had a lot to say, “I am thankful that we will relive those glorious moments once again through this film. I have visited Chennai many times, and I love this city. Srikanth has been such a great stress buster on and off field.”
The cricketers also kept the audiences in splits recalling some fun incidents from their touring days. Kamal Haasan, whose production house is presenting 83 in Tamil, said, “Kabir Khan shared some facts about the team with me, and it made me very emotional. They faced a lot of hardships, and didn’t have an adequate budget for things like laundry. The BBC wasn’t present when the win happened, and I am happy that this victory is now recorded for all posterity.”
After the first look release, Ranveer Singh unveiled the 40-ft banner of the film 83 in Sathyam Cinemas. He interacted with the audiences there for a while entertaining them and leaving them with a lot of memories. 83 will be released on 10 April 2020, worldwide.