Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone starrer ’83 has been creating a massive buzz ever since its announcement. Directed by Kabir Khan, the film is an ode to the 1983 Cricket World Cup win for the Indian cricket team in England. Ranveer Singh will be seen playing the role of the former Indian cricket captain Kapil Dev while real-life wife Deepika would be seen playing his onscreen wife, Romi Bhatia.
However, there was a buzz that Arjun Kapoor was the first choice for the film. Now, in an interview with ETimes, Kabir Khan has clarified the reports, saying he always only had Ranveer on his mind for Kapil Dev’s role.
“Ye ek gut and instinct hota hai. Ever since I was asked to make the film, I had only Ranveer on my mind. Ranveer is a chameleon. See his last 4 films and you feel there’s a different human being in each of them. I knew Ranveer would be a perfect choice. I told him it’s not a look-alike contest, you need to imbibe Kapil’s persona,” Kabir Khan said.
“You know, 83 is a big responsibility for me. I knew if I don’t recreate this correctly, the country will not forgive me. Ditto for Ranveer: If he won’t portray Kapil correctly, the audience will not forgive him. And as you see from the trailer, he has done it brilliantly. He worked very hard,” the director added.
Meanwhile, ahead of its grand release, the trailer of 83 was screened at Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world earlier this week. As the trailer played on the building, Ranveer watched it with Kabir and Deepika Padukone. 83 will release in theatres worldwide on December 24.
