India’s Cricket World Cup victory in 1983 had an entire nation celebrating. Chennai too has a special connect with the victory since it is the home of one of the key members of that winning team, Krishnamachari Srikkanth.
Known for his aggressive opening style, and amazing shot play, the cricketer is a favourite both in his hometown and in the country. The film 83, which chronicles the journey of this historic victory, features an all-star cast. Among them is Jiiva, who plays Kris Srikkanth in the film.
The director of the film, Kabir Khan said, “The first thing that pops up in mind when we think of Kris Srikkanth is electrifying energy. That’s why, apart from capturing his incredible cricketing skills, it was also important to capture just how dynamic he is as a person.”
He added, “While zeroing in on actors to play the role of the legendary opener, we had to find someone who could bring out that X factor. We watched a few of Jiiva’s films and realised that he would be the perfect fit for this role.”
Jiiva is a good cricketer himself, and according to the makers, it helped their decision making process. Like all the actors who were roped in for the film, Jiiva too had to learn the style of Kris Srikkanth. Kabir Khan was impressed with the actor’s dedication to the part, he said, “We are all impressed with his transformation. We are sure that everyone will love watching his performance on the big screens.”
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Speaking about this part, the actor himself is quite excited. He said, “I love cricket. I’ve loved it since I was a child. When this offer came to me, I was amazed. It was a dream offer, where both of my loves – film and cricket – had converged.”
Jiiva is also quite excited to work with the many talents from the film industry. He said, “Working with Ranveer Singh was a beautiful experience. He is a delight to work with and spend time with. I genuinely hope that audiences love the film. We have all spent a lot of time on getting the details right in this film.”
83, directed by Kabir Khan, is being released simultaneously in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi on 10 April 2020.
