‘83’ Review: The film is an emotion perfectly replayed! 

83 (2021/ Cinema release/ Sports Film/ Biopic) 

As they say ’Cricket in India is not just a sport, it’s an emotion’. 

Kabir Khan and the entire team has done a stupendous job of recreating that span of our glorious past when we defeated not only two time World Cup champions but also the mindset that didn’t expect us to win and the condescending view of the world that looked down upon us.

Director – Kabir Khan

Cast – Ranveer Singh, Jiiva, Saqib Saleem, Jatin Sharma, Chirag Patil ,Tahir Raj Bhasin, Hardy Sandhu, Dinkar Sharma, Ammy Wirk, Sahil Khattar, Nishant Dahiya , Adinath Kothare, Pankaj Tripathi, Neena Gupta, Boman Irani, Deepika Padukone

The story kickstarts from the point when Indian team arrives for the World Cup amidst the unexcited, unhopeful send-off and a snubbing welcome. 

We are introduced to the team and the fantastic set of actors that bring to life our yester-year cricketers and the real stars of this story.

The film then takes us through this wonderful journey beginning from the warm-up matches and initial losses to the historical victory. 

The film chooses to follow an untreaded path. Instead of focusing on any one personality, it appreciably gives balanced footage to the key players. It refuses to use the star power of its leads. Ranveer is brilliant in his most subdued, most measured performance till date. It’s Kapil Dev we see on the screen through out. Ranveer Singh is hardly visible. The film refuses to use over-dramatisation and emotional tropes to cash in on emotional quotient. Those wins and steps towards it are enough to overwhelm. It stays on-point with an almost documentary like precision and yet remains so captivating that loo breaks are impossible except for the intermission. So go slow on that coke. Apart from those racing heart beats, disappointments and adrenaline rush, there are plenty of light moments and humour too. Adorable banter, equations amongst the players and numerous anecdotes have been woven together in the narrative to make it a beautiful biopic, of not a person but actually an event.

No words would be enough for the team of actors. 

Ranveer Singh sweeps us off the floor. So much hard work on his looks, diction, body language and playing action, he is fantabulous. This man is here to rule.

Jiiva (Srikkanth), Saqib Saleem (Mohinder Amarnath), Jatin Sharma (Yashpal Sharma), Chirag Patil (Sandeep Patil), Tahir Raj Bhasin (Gavaskar),Hardy Sandhu (MadanLal), Dinkar Sharma (Kirti Azad), Ammy Wirk (Balwinder Sandhu), Sahil Khattar (Syed Kirmani), Nishant Dahiya (Roger Binny), Adinath Kothare (Vengsarkar) are all heroes in equal measures having put in their soul for looking the part of the legendary cricketers.

Pankaj Tripathi (Man Singh), Neena Gupta (Kapil’s mother), Boman Irani (Farook Engineer) and Deepika (Romi Dev) play their parts well.

I guess it’s never easy to recreate sports actions and events and that’s a feat that Kabir Khan has achieved with his team. The real life footages interspersed boast of the precision of the recreated scenes. Watch out for the opening introduction scene of Kapil Dev and his bowling action. Gives you goosebumps.

The music is by Pritam and the background score by Julius Packiam. I don’t know if I should appreciate them as they didn’t go overboard in adding to the overwhelming feel or confess that I felt that they could have been better. Couldn’t help reminisce the immensely moving music in ‘Chak De’. I guess I enjoy being carried away by the music.

But let me say that the film and the story it narrates is enough to make you ride that wave of emotions. It doesn’t need the support or the momentum that music provides.

The film is a fantastic action replay of our historical win and is bound to clean bowl your hearts. 

Score 4 out of 5