Jiiva will play the role of the ex-cricketer and commentator Krishnamachari Srikkanth in the upcoming Hindi film ’83. The actor has reportedly been practising under the cricketer himself to prepare for the role.
Announced in September 2017, ’83, directed by Kabir Khan, is about India’s world cup victory. Ranveer Singh will essay the role of the then team captain Kapil Dev. The movie is scheduled for release in April 2020.
According to DC, actors Allu Arjun and Vijay Devarakonda were being considered to play Srikkanth’s role in the film. But as Srikanth is from Tamil Nadu, the filmmakers wanted to get an actor from the state for his part. In October, Jiiva was reportedly finalized for the role.
A source close to the film says, “The film’s director Kabir Khan was clear that he wanted to cast a Tamil actor for the role of Srikkanth. He was looking for an actor who was young and talented and eventually found that in actor Jiiva. When he approached Jiiva for the part in October, he came on board instantly.”
The makers believe that casting a Tamil actor as Srikkanth will go a long way in bringing authenticity to the character.
Jiiva will be essaying the role of a cricketer for the first time in his career. “He has been allocating two hours every day for practice sessions. He is working under the supervision of Srikkanth himself. These sessions are expected to be over in February and the actor will start shooting for his part in March,” said the source.
Jiiva was last seen in Kalakalppu 2. The actor has three movies namely Kee, Gorilla and Gypsy gearing up for release this year. Kee, a science fiction film directed by Kalees will release on March 16.
