Movie Review: 83

Movie Review: 83

June 25, 1983. A history was made at Lord's. History of Indian Cricket was also re-written there, forever. The movie: 83, is an attempt to capture this history.

In 1983, nobody in his/her right mind would have ever thought of India winning the World Cup. In past, India had won only one World Cup match, against East Africa. On this background, India's journey into the World Cup, up to the Final, is full of surprises, twists and turns, moments of tears and glory and above all, grit and courage.

Now, over to the movie. It starts with India team departing to England for World Cup. Nobody, not even the Cricket Board staff is enthusiastic about the campaign, except for the team Manager, Mr. Maan Singh. Questions are also asked about why Sunil Gavaskar is not the Captain.

Enter the Captain Kapil Dev on to the scene, and we immediately know his mind set (we are going for a win). Then we are introduced to the team: Sunil Gavaskar, Srikkanth (aka Chika), Kirmani, Yashpal Sharma, Sandip Patil (Patla), Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Madanlal and so on. Their interactions and camaraderie is captured really well. Movie manages to get a laugh or two, showing how Srikkanth manages to get a free meal from a South Indian family, and how he comments that Punjabi players can easily manage this by saying 'Tusi, lassi' etc, and how it is hard to find a Vegetarian South Indian family. A quick comment is made here on how poorly the cricketers were paid in those days, so less that they couldn't even manage their laundry. (All this changed after this victory, of course).

Overall, nobody is taking Team India seriously. The team doesn't even have passes to the Lords, citing the fact that, India is not going to play any match over there.

India's campaign begins with two successive wins against the mighty West Indies(at Manchester) and Zimbabwe (Leicester). Everyone is surprised, but these wins are attributed as flukes.

This is followed by two losses against Australia and West Indies. The West Indies team is back with vengeance, and crushes the spirits of India team (Vengsarkar getting hurt on the chin). Interestingly, this was the one match where not even one boundary was scored by Indian team. Sunil Gavaskar couldn't play in either of these matches. Entire team is in bad mood. Team India is almost written off, and talks are on for the return tickets of the team. With heavy hearts and low spirits, Team India leaves for the next do-or-die match against Zimbabwe, at Tunbridge Wells.

There, there walks in Kapil's wife Romi, almost posing like a lucky charm for Kapil. Next we know, four wickets are gone for a paltry sum of 9 runs, and Kapil Paaji has to be summoned to bat, while he is actually enjoying hot shower. Rest is the history: 175 not out (16 boundaries, 6 sixes), a world record, breaking the previous 171 by Glenn Turner. Kapil doesn't even realize this, and asks the umpire what happened. Unfortunately, this match was not broadcast, supposedly because only a limited BBC crew was available that day, who preferred to broadcast other match between West Indies and Australia.

India wins the next match against Australia at Chelmsford, and enters the Semi finals against England at Manchester. It's really funny to see how two car mechanics go to Manchester, supposedly for a funeral, and their boss sees them on TV, in the crowd. A lot of footage has been allotted to the next two matches (which is justifiable). Picturization of the Final is simply superb and thrilling: especially Richard’s catch taken by Kapil Dev off Madanlal.

About the casting: Ranveer Singh walks, talks and breaths Kapil Dev. Honestly, I had never thought of him as a serious actor (especially after Bajirao Mastani). However, in this movie, he gets into the skin of the character. His get up, wig, mannerisms are on the dot. So much so that, after some time into the movie, I started thinking that it's real Kapil Paaji acting.

Other cast is fine. They have picked up the looks and mannerisms of the actual cricketers. Srikkanth and Yashpal Sharma's characters get more screen time, I think. Deepika Padukone breezes in her small role. Mohinder Amarnath plays his father's (Lala Amarnath) role. Boman Irani chips in as Farukh Engineer. A cute little Sachin Tendulkar makes a quick appearance, and at the end, utters his famous words: I will play (main khelega).

I have to give full marks to the director Kabir Khan, and his screenplay writers. The movie is factually correct, to the tee. I can vouch for that (eg Yashpal Sharma caught by Logie, a sub). A lot of attention has been given to even the smallest details. A lot of funny moments are captured in the movie: How Srikkanth was not allowed to go to bathroom, while Kapil Dev was at the crease against Zimbabwe, or how Yashpal Sharma treats his 'acidity'. Also, Srikkanth winking at the Queen: quite funny.

All the ground shots are finely taken, and a lot of attention has been given to the way they are shot. For example, how Sunil Gavaskar got out in the final (C. Dujon B. Roberts), and how Dujon expressed his frustration (by slapping his hand on the ground), when he got out (B. Amarnath), or how Sandhu got Greenidge bowled out on an in-swinger, is ingrained in my brain. The movie shows these incidents exactly like that. At many places, the actual footage has cleverly been used.

A couple of slips I noticed: It was Sunil Gavaskar, who advised Kapil to bring in Amarnath to bowl, when Dujon-Marshall pair seemed to take the game away. Movie didn't show this. Also, I would have loved to see the square drive hit by Srikkanth to Marshall, with his left knee touching the ground. Anyway. It is hard to capture all this in the limited movie time.

I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. Go watch it, folks.

- Narendra Joshi