I was a little over 7 years old when India won the 1983 cricket world cup. I don't remember seeing the match or remember much of the frenzy, but I do remember a couple of years later writing about cricket in my English class. I distinctly remember drawing the Prudential cup in my notebook and mentioning that Kapil Dev was my favourite cricketer. I experienced what the country felt that year when India won the cricket world cup for the second time in 2011. While the second time was no less of an achievement, the 1983 victory saga was much more than that. After all, Kapil Dev and his boys had their return tickets from England booked even before the semifinal dates! And that is precisely why this story needs to be told. A generation of cricket fans have seen India as a glorious cricketing nation, but it was the team of 1983 that put the country on the world cricketing map. And that is reason enough for the story to be retold.
There is nothing much to write about the story because we all know how it ends. We also know the journey that the Indian team went through to reach the finals at Lord's and defeat the invincible West Indies. But what makes 83 the movie special is not the story at all, but it is the moments that are woven into it. It is the people who make 83 an emotional and nostalgic experience. Within the first few minutes into the movie, I was no longer watching Ranveer Singh or Pankaj Tripathi or any of the actors for that matter. On the screen were Kapil Dev, PR Man Singh, and the rest of the players. I was hooked on their journey and was excited to know how they would all bring it together. (Yes, yes I know we won!)
Ranveer Singh embodies Kapil Dev to near perfection, the rest of the cast stands at par with him. My personal favourites were Saquib Saleem as Mohinder Amarnath, Jiiva as Srikanth, Jatin Sarna as Yashpal Sharma, and Nishant Dahiya as Roger Binny. At this point, there is not even the need to mention Pankaj Tripathi's acting abilities because he always rises above and beyond. And as PR Man Singh he is no different. So kudos to all the actors for getting under the skin of the players.
Kabir Khan is known for the melodrama in his films and 83 has its fair share too. But what makes it different in this film is that the dose is just right. There are no menacing West Indies players or over-the-top jingoism. (Yes, there is a single Indian national flag swaying among the hundreds of West Indies flags, menacing English fans, and the sprinkling of national bhaichara in the narrative, but it had the desired impact on me and I have no qualms about it. There I said it!!) I found myself cheering every boundary and sixer, every wicket of the opposition, and getting tensed and worried every time India was not doing well. (Once again, I know we won the world cup!) But the way Kabir Khan and his team of writers have presented the film, the juxtaposition of the real and reel makes this a beautiful walk down memory lane.
A few interesting additions to the film that is heartwarming are Neena Gupta as Kapil Dev's mother (quite an interesting touch... if you get the drift!), Chirag Patil playing his father Sandeep Patil, and Mohinder Amarnath playing his father Lala Amarnath. And the cherry on the top is Kapil Dev cheering in the audience at one of the most crucial moments in the tournament. There are many more such moments, but then you have to see it on the big screen to relive the 1983 mania!
So go to a theatre near you and check out 83. And yes, wear a mask and stay safe. It is great to be at the movies!
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