Ranveer as Kapil, Saqib as Amarnath: The entire cast for biopic of 1983 World Cup triumph
Kabir Khan's 83 is slated to release on 10 April 2020. The excitement has already started to build on who will be playing who in the much-anticipated movie. The film is based on India's incredible triumph of the 1983 Cricket World Cup. India defeated Clive Lloyd’s West Indian team - which was considered the best back then - in the final to lift the coveted trophy.
It is no secret that the lead role in the movie - of the then skipper Kapil Dev - will be played by none other than the charismatic Ranveer Singh.
However, cricket and film enthusiasts are eager to know who will be playing the other cricketers and characters in the highly awaited sports drama. A majority of the roles and the actors who will play them have been disclosed already.
In this article, we list out the artists who will be playing significant roles in the film and exactly whose role they will be playing.
#1 Ranveer Singh as Kapil Dev
The energetic Ranveer Singh, who has delivered one hit after another in the film industry, will be playing the role of the talismanic skipper Kapil Dev.
It is reported that the actor will also get to spend three weeks with India's legendary all-rounder in order to pick up the character's personality as well as his style of play.
Playing a sportsperson on the screen will be something new for Ranveer. The role of someone of the status of Kapil Dev will specifically be a challenging task.
The Gully Boy and Padmaavat-actor will again have a chance to prove his mettle as well as his versatility. Balwinder Singh Sandhu is also helping Ranveer with his preparation. In fact, Ranveer has been a good batsman since childhood but he is finding the bowling part challenging.
#2 Chirag Patil as Sandeep Patil
Sandeep Patil was a popular figure in the Indian team during the World Cup. The 62-year-old was a hard-hitting batsman as well as a medium pace bowler. The veteran player represented India in 29 Tests and 45 ODIs.
Sandeep's role will be portrayed by his own son - Chirag Patil. The 31-year-old is a Marathi film actor and has got a wonderful opportunity to depict the story of his own father.
“From the day the film was announced, my wife Deepa was hoping and wanting Chirag to play my part and she must have really prayed hard! When Ranveer Singh came on board to play Kapil Dev in the film, Chirag and many others were called for an audition and I think Kabir Khan must have heard the past prayers. Today, I feel proud and happy because Chirag did not get selected because he is my son, he has gone through an audition process to get selected for this film. Now it is up to him – Deepa and I can only wish him well,” Chirag said while speaking to The Quint.
This is indeed a true story of the popular saying 'like father like son.'
Sandeep Patil also had a few stints in front of the camera as an actor. Although Chirag has finished multiple projects in regional media, '83 provides him a big opportunity to make his mark in the Hindi film industry and get noticed.
His father had played the 1983 World Cup final against the Windies with broken ribs and also scored 27 runs in the low-scoring encounter. He also scored a blistering 51 off 32 deliveries in the all-important semifinal match against England.
Bringing out those sort of emotions will be a difficult task but at the same time an interesting challenge for Chirag.
Also Read: IPL 2019: Ranking the wicketkeepers of all 8 teams