’83 and the Cup of Joy
This Christmas, Santa Claus brings you cricket. Virat Kohli and his band of boys may have made an early exit in Dubai, but the World Cup will still come to India this year. Kabir Khan has recreated our 1983 win in the UK with Ranveer Singh reprising the role of Team India captain Kapil Dev.
Even before its December 24 opening, the film has already created history by entering the ‘members only’ Long Room at Lord’s where no camera had entered before. In fact, the World Cup that India won was actually brought out and presented to Ranveer in the balcony of the historic stadium during the five-day shoot in Lord’s.
’83 will bring back a lot of memories for those who celebrated this hard-fought victory of the underdogs over world champions West Indies, in particular its ‘players’ Chirag Patel whose dad Sandeep Patel was ‘India’s Most Impactful Batsman’ during the World Cup 38 years ago. And Mali Malcolm whose father, Windies fast bowler Malcolm Marshall, scalped Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Madan Lal during the finals and still lost the Cup. Also, Kapil Dev’s daughter, Amiya, has assisted Kabir in recreating history.
Interestingly, in 2009, a film titled World Cupp 2011 had released on December 18, marking the debut of Ravi Kapoor. Besides cricket, it also touched on the underworld, betting and match-fixing. In the film, Ravi captains the Indian team in the 2007 World Cupp and with four teammates throw the finals against Pakistan. They are subsequently exposed and banned.
Four years later, the disgraced cricketers get a chance to redeem themselves. Ravi is again approached by the same bookie just before the all-important match with arch-rivals Pakistan. This time he refuses to sell his country even after his ex-girlfriend and the team’s physiotherapist is kidnapped.
While World Cup 2011, is forgotten, Kabir hopes that he can fan the nationalist spirit that took Aamir Khan’s Lagaan to the Oscars and makes it unforgettable even after 20 years. So, this year, instead of “Jingle bells”, get ready to sing “Lehra do”.
A Jersey for the kid
In 1959, in Subodh Mukherjee’s Love Marriage, Dev Anand played a cricketer who clean bowls Mala Sinha in Mumbai’s Brabourne Stadium with his fours and sixes. He then starts a new innings with her in Jhansi. Along with cricket, the film also revolved around family ties that are fast snapping with the newly-wed bride even contemplating divorce.
Shahid Kapoor’s upcoming film Jersey which releases on December 31 is also a family drama that unravels against the backdrop of cricket. Written and directed by Gowtam Tinnanuri who also helmed the 2019 Telugu film by the same name, Jersey revolves around a 36-year-old cricketer’s struggles to return to not just the pitch but also the national team, 10 years after he quit the sport, to buy India team jersey for his son.
Shabhash Mithu and Mithali Raj
This biopic is on the captain of the national women’s cricket team, Mithali Raj, who holds the record for the world’s highest run scorer. And who better than Taapsee Pannu to play Mithali who for her was not just another fictitious character, but a real person. In an effort to give the role her best shot, the actress, who had never held a bat before that, learnt how to wield the willow effectively.
In 2008, we had seen Mandira Bedi as math teacher Meera Achrekar in Meerabai Not Out, playing cricket with her band of girls, her love for the game almost making her miss her own wedding. The film had Anil Kumble making a special appearance. It remains to be seen if Mithali and her team will root for Taapsee in this Srijit Mukherji directorial.
Dada Sourav Ganguly comes to the screen
We have already had films on two of India’s cricket captains, Mohammad Azharuddin—with Emraan Hashmi in and as Azhar—and Sushant Singh Rajput impressing as Mahendra Singh Dhoni. A docu-drama, Sachin: A Billion Dreams, chronicled the career of a third captain, Master Blaster Tendulkar. On September 9, a fourth captain and the present BCCI President finally gave his nod to his biopic which will be produced by Luv Ranjan and Ankur Garg.
Buzz is, Ekta Kapoor and Fox Star Studios, among many production houses, had approached Dada earlier, but he was not keen then. Ranbir Kapoor is one of the top contenders to play him in this Rs 200-250 crore venture.
When Neha Dhupia had proposed Hrithik Roshan’s name, Ganguly had pointed out that the actor would need to have a body like his first, alluding to his side’s win over England in the NatWest One-Day International in 2002 when he had taken off his shirt and waved it in triumph from the Lord’s balcony. Undoubtedly, we will see this unforgettable moment on screen.
Maharaj as he is fondly called also helped his team lift the ICC Champions Trophy in 2002. The following year, India finished runners-up in the 2003 ICC World Cup.
