British actor Dev Patel is said to be starring in the biopic of Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan, according to reports. Though nothing has been confirmed yet officially, several reports suggest that this could be a possibility. It is a well-known fact that the attempts to make a biopic on the famous spinner were made before, which was titled ‘800’ in a tribute to the 800 test wickets taken by the bowler. Vijay Sethupathi was finalized to play the role of Muttiah Muralitharan.
Preparations for the film had already begun and the poster had also been released. Vijay Sethupathi had completely transformed into Muralidharan, which had won him accolades from his fans. However, in October 2020, Dravidian political parties and several senior film industry leaders raised an objection to this movie; saying that Sethupathi should not do the film due to the cricketer’s alleged support to Sri Lankan Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s anti-Tamil stand.
Ultimately, Vijay Sethupathi had given in to the pressure and bowed out of ‘800’, while directors started looking for a replacement. It is being said now that the team has approached British actor Dev Patel to play the role.
Earlier, director Seenu Ramaswamy had announced that the film would be shelved since he did not want to advance the film without Vijay Sethupathi. However, later he changed his decision.
Fans of the star spinner are eagerly waiting for the movie to be completed and released. Dev Patel is a renowned actor who has acted in both Hollywood and British films. He has acted in numerous films including The Last Airbender, Slumdog Millionaire Chappie, The Wedding Guest and Hotel Mumbai. He is currently starring in the movie Monkey Man.
