83, the movie, released on OTT on Sunday/ Monday midnight and we, almost immediately, watched it!
If you don't know, 83 is based on India's first (and historic) cricket World Cup win in 1983. Back then, the Indian cricket team was not the powerhouse that you see today. We had great players, true, but they nowhere had the winning track record or the kind of fame that our cricketers have had since the 1990s. The reasons are several, but an important one being that cricket in India became a national (and media) obsession only after we won the World Cup in 1983. True, there were cricket fans in India even before 1983, but the way the sport and the sportsmen captured the common person's imagination and became an obsession and religion of its own owes a huge part to this team that won us the World Cup in 1983 and instilled a huge sense of pride in our men in blue!
Without further ado, let's get into 5 compelling reasons to watch this amazing film!
1. The performances. Each and every actor in the movie has just stepped into the skin of their characters. It is challenging to play real people, especially, if the real people are still around, without turning them into caricatures. The cast, led by a mind-blowingly good Ranveer Singh, not only embodies each member of the winning team, but also brings them to life by emulating their on and off-field body language. Be it Shastri's spinning hand gesture after taking a wicket or Kapil Dev's bowling and batting action or Srikkant's eye twitch, each and every actor has done a phenomenal job in making these cricketing stars come to life! The performances are even keeled, not melodramatic, which makes you forget you are watching a movie!
2. The cameos!!! Oh my God! I loved, loved, loved Mohinder (Jimmy) Amarnath playing the role of his father- the legendary cricketer, Lala Amarnath- so, so much! It gave me a giggle each time Jimmy Amarnath looked at his own innings on TV and either grinned or, at one point, threw a shoe at the TV. It was so cute! Also, we have Kapil Dev showing up in the audience to catch a well-timed four and saying, "Good shot, Kapil!" Really made me smile! I have heard some people whine about inserting real pictures and footage of games from the matches in 1983 into the movie, but I found it quite seamless. It helps you remember that this is a real story with real cricketing greats! Ditto with the quick look at the actual passports (from 1983) of the real players to introduce them to the audience. It immediately helps you know who is who even if you were not around or were very young back then!
3. I loved watching the re-creation of the matches. I have read and seen reviews where some people found those boring, but, duh!, you are watching a sports movie, what did you expect to see?! Kitchen scenes?! Dance numbers?! Idiots!
Each and every match that India played in the 1983 World Cup is a part of that tremendous journey and it also helps establish how formidable the West Indies team was! They had some of the greatest batsmen in the world and four SCARY good fast bowlers. World-class batsmen trembled before Andy Roberts, Malcom Marshall, Joel Gardner etc. So, by showing these different matches, the director has helped create an understanding of the immense challenge Team India faced and how each victory and defeat in this journey paved their way to the shocking (to the entire world) win in the finals!
In their second round match against the West Indies, Dilip Vengsarkar was hit on the chin and needed seven stitches, Jimmy Amarnath's body was bruised by the number of times the ball hit him... In the finals, a heartbroken Sandhu was hit under his ear and he still came back out to bowl and took crucial wickets for us... Roger Binny's crisis of confidence and his rebound.. Kapil Dev's unbeaten 175 against Zimbabwe (of which, sadly, no video recording exists!) was brought to life so masterfully in this movie! Each of these little stories of struggle wouldn't have come to light if each of these matches were not shown!
4. The camaraderie and bonding between the team members was so sweet to watch! The inside jokes, leg pulling, covering up for your teammate when his strict (and intimidating) dad calls, funny shenanigans abroad etc. were so nice to watch! The team seemed like a fun bunch of people, who seemed to get along really well.
Similarly, the ego skirmishes (between Kapil Dev and the ousted captain Gavaskar) and giving tough feedback were also shown. So, not like it was all sunshine and rainbows. The human element in this movie also shines through really well.
I loved watching Pankaj Tripathi as P.R. Man Singh- the Manager of the Indian team. He was quirky, fun, funny and brought so much dignity to his role. His expressions when the Indian team was denied a pass to Lord's (where the final was supposed to be played) was so determined and heartbreaking all at once!
Even the little we got to see of Kapil and his wife- Romi's- relationship was sweet. You can see Ranveer Singh's eyes light up when he watches Deepika. They'd kill at this even if they weren't the extremely competent actors that they are!
5. Watch this movie for Ranveer Singh. Because, and I promise you this, you'll forget he is even there in this film! He BECOMES Kapil Dev. His body language, diction, expressions, the style of playing cricket- everything- is Kapil Dev's. I, genuinely, forgot that I was watching Ranveer Singh and not some digitally age-reduced version of Kapil Dev. He is so, so good in this movie!
Finally, a bonus sixth reason to watch 83. Watch it for Team India. Watch it for Indian Cricket. Watch it because you were probably not born or were too young to watch and understand what this win meant for India and Indian cricket.
Back in the early 1980s, Indian cricket was not respected globally. We were an underdog team. We were known for only winning matches in India. Our track record for winning matches abroad was abysmal. No one even expected us to reach the Quarter or Semi Finals. The World Cup organisers didn't even give us a pass for the Finals! Everyone was so confident that we'll not make it. Noted sports journalist, David Frith, said he'd eat his words if India won the World Cup. This is a true underdog story. This is the story of a 24 year old national team captain inspiring his team to be their best and to beat the invincible, two-time World Champions- West Indies. This is the story of a whole nation that was given a huge reason to hold their heads up high. This is the story of a huge moment of national pride for Indians everywhere. This is our very own David and Goliath story.
I am so surprised that it has taken us nearly 39 years to tell this story on celluloid. Nevertheless, I am just so glad this story has, finally, been told and that those of us who were too young (my sister) or not even born (me) know about the Indian Cricket Team of '83 and tremendous grit and effort it took to bring home our first World Cup!
83 is streaming on Netflix and Disney+ Hotstar.
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