Led by Ranveer Singh as cricketer Kapil Dev, the trailer of Kabir Khan's much-awaited sports drama 83 dives straight into the pivotal match that catapulted the all-rounder and his 'devils' to dark horse status. In a must-win match against Zimbabwe in Tunbridge Wells during the 1983 Cricket World Cup, the Indian team suffers a shocking batting collapse. This moment of deepest despair is put into context by the rest of the trailer which underlines the Indian team's underdog status and their unexpected victory.
Singh captures Kapil Dev's mannerisms well, including his uninhibited courage, accent and chip on the shoulder. The former India captain remains a trailblazer with his radical ideas which led to the first major transformation of the global giant that is Indian cricket today.
The trailer also depicts the rest of the team, which is underlined by a healthy camaraderie and sense of humour. Jiva appears to do justice to the role of ace cricketer Krishnamachari Srikkanth. Harrdy Sandhu, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Saquib Saleem are also intriguing. Then, there is the ever-present Pankaj Tripathi as the manager, PR Man Singh, who brings gravitas to the proceedings.
The trailer features a glimpse of Deepika Padukone as Romi Dev, the distinguished wife of India's firebrand captain. Boman Irani makes a blink-and-you-miss appearance as the proud Farrokh Engineer towards the end.
Yet Kabir Khan's trailer is also a reminder of the humble, innocent days of Indian cricket — a time when cricketers from India were not billionaires and did not hog the limelight. It was also a time when the West Indies were truly feared, and when a ragtag group of brave young men stepped up on the global cricketing stage.
83 is set to be released in theatres on 24 December, after several delays caused by the COVID pandemic.
Check out the trailer and let us know if you are keen on watching the film.