Movie review “83”

I saw "83" on Disney+ Hotstar and after watching it I can only say, it is an outstanding movie that everyone should watch. 

This movie celebrates India’s iconic World Cup win against the mighty West Indies on 25th June 1983, at Lord’s, London. Making a movie on a grand sports event that is already etched in the hearts of all Indians requires great courage. Director Kabir Khan has done an amazing job by recreating those glorious moments on screen. Splendid performance by Ranveer Singh. He has put his soul into Kapil Dev’s character. Whatever role he plays he owns it. In this movie right from Kapil Dev’s accent he has perfectly portrayed the patriotism, aggression, and anguish of Kapil Dev. He has aptly depicted the emotions that Kapil Dev went through during the World Cup series. All the actors have done a superb job. Pankaj Tripathi was excellent in his role of manager PR Man Singh, who was everything for the team. The team was not having any doctor, therapist, or coach along with them but they had Man Singh who helped the team in all possible ways. Saqib Saleem (Mohinder Amarnath) and Jeeva (K Srikanth) are remarkable in their roles. The cricket sequences are shot brilliantly and you get the feeling of watching a real match. The movie has many hilarious scenes which will make you laugh, especially the dialogues of Ranveer Singh in broken English. The real-life photos and footages of the players shown in between are a visual treat for viewers. The song “Lehra do” sung by Arijeet Singh, is a truly patriotic song that gives goosebumps while listening.

 The dialogues of this movie are very heart-touching and impactful.

 “We here to win” – Ranveer Singh

 “Bachpan se meri mumma mujhe sirf ek hee cheez kehti aayi hai - Beta jeet ke aana, koi best of shest of luck nahi. Bas jeet ke aana.” - Ranveer Singh (Kapil Dev) 

 The way Kabir Khan recreated all the 7 matches in the movie is praiseworthy. Especially Kapil Dev’s iconic match against Zimbabwe. Unfortunately, the match was not covered by the media as BBC was on strike that day. But Kapil Dev has no bitter feelings for having no visual records of the match in which he made 175 runs and broke the world record. When Kapil Dev was interviewed he said, "I don't think that way. I feel God gives you some days and says, "Go, enjoy yourself. That was my day". There are so many interesting facts about the 83 world cup that you would come to know in this movie. Initially, there was no special food arrangement for the vegetarian players during their stay in England. They had to manage with bread, biscuits, and salads. Eventually, some of the Indian families would offer home-cooked meals to the players. David Frith who was Wisden Cricket Monthly editor, had written one article before the start of the world Cup stating that he would eat his words if India won the World Cup. Following India’s Victory, PR Man Singh wrote a letter to David Frith which reminded him of his article. David Frith went to the Lords on July 23rd and, symbolically ate the article that criticized the Indian cricket team. 

Why you should watch this movie:

83” depicts the journey of a losing team that beats all odds to win the world cup. This movie is not just about cricket, it’s about leadership, team building, hard work, and determination. Right from the beginning when everyone including the selectors back home, audience, the team players themselves did not believe in winning, it was only the caption who dreamt of winning the world cup and his every action was towards achieving it .The movie also gives you a lesson, nothing is impossible in life if you believe in yourself. Kudos to Team 83!