Even if one hasn’t had the chance of witnessing the 1983 Cricket World Cup victory, it is impossible to not know stories of the glorious maiden win of India. As Kapil Dev lifted the trophy along with the country’s hope, it marked a historic moment at Lords. And for the people of the country, who have been inseparable from the game, what could be a greater joy than to watch the events unfold on a big screen?
Kabir Khan’s sports drama 83, led by Ranveer Singh (who dons the character of the then captain Kapil Dev) not only takes the audience through the thrilling journey but also gives a group of Bollywood actors a chance to experience the plethora of emotions the cricketers leading us to our first win felt. And talking about the same, actor Adinath Kothare, who plays the role of former cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar, says that the most amazing experience of shooting the film has been seeing the actual Prudential Cup trophy.
“The most amazing moment was when Kabir (Khan) sir recreated the moment when the Indian team won the World Cup in 1983. He took care of the smallest details. We were in our getups and the atmosphere was set and he came on sets and kept something in the middle covered with a cloth. We removed the cover to see the original ’83 Prudential Cup trophy, the same trophy the Indian team had lifted up. At that moment, we all were extremely emotional. We broke down in tears and had goosebumps. It was the most real and unforgettable moment for all of us.”
The film also stars Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jiiva, Saqib Saleem, Jatin Sarna, Chirag Patil, Dinker Sharma, Nishant Dahiya, Harrdy Sandhu, Sahil Khattar, Ammy Virk, Dhairya Karwa, and R Badree as cricketers of the 1983 team, Pankaj Tripathi as PR Man Singh and Deepika Padukone as Kapil Dev’s wife.
Kothare described their team as a ‘big band of crazy men’ when asked about the bonding he had with his fellow actors. “I think we all got along really well. This project is not about one person but the camaraderie of the entire team. Ranveer was especially a ball of energy and was so grounded. We got along right from day one. There was a lot to learn from that person not only as an artist but also as a human being. Despite being a big star, he is hardworking and down to earth. Deepika, too, was a breath of fresh air when she used to come on the sets.”
Not only an award-winning actor, but Kothare is also an award-winning director, and has assisted other directors for a couple of Marathi films. He bagged the National Film Award for Best Film on Environment Conservation/Preservation for his directorial debut film Paani. Asked whether he wants to put on the director’s hat for a Hindi film, he said that he already has something on cards.
Furthermore, one of the actors he wishes to direct in his career is none other than his 83 co-star Ranveer. “I would like to direct Vicky Kaushal because I am fond of his work, but right now, I would like to direct Ranveer because he is amazing, and the kind of work he has done in 83 is something that is going to blow everybody’s mind. It would be a dream to direct him.”
However, it took months of training for the actor and a couple of injuries to get into the skin of Dilip Vengsarkar. “It is a physically challenging film. To get into the skin of the characters, we had rigorous training for a year. Balwinder Sandhu (former Indian Test cricketer) had trained us and we had to imbibe the body language and the batting styles of these players. It had to be imbibed so well that it would come out involuntarily in front of the camera. When you are actually on the pitch and facing a ball, and impulsively play a shot, it has to come out exactly the way Dilip sir would do it. Hence, it took a lot of practice,” Adinath said.
“Obviously, there were injuries. I had a tennis elbow, but the drive and the passion were so amazing right from Kabir sir to Ranveer that we were driven and these injuries did not matter,” he concluded.
Kabir Khan’s sports drama 83 will have its grand theatrical release on Friday, December 24, in Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam languages.
