83 - The sport of gentlemen

83

Hindi, 2021

Director - Kabir Khan

Stars:

Kapil Dev - Ranveer Singh

Sunil Gavaskar - Tahir Raj Basin

Krishnamachari Srikanth - Jiiva

P N Man Singh - Pankaj Tripathi

Romi Bhatia - Deepika Padukone

Mohan's Measure ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

My first true exposure to the game of cricket was in 2011, when I joined my wife, family and friends in watching the nail biting India vs. Sri Lanka World Cup.  Ever since then I have been fascinated with the game, albeit I am not at all familiar with the nuances.

Such nuances are brought to fore in 83, a masterpiece of moviemaking that recreates all the play-by-play action of the momentous events leading to India's miraculous win over the all-powerful West Indies to win the 1983 World Cup.  What impressed me most about this film is that it is as much about the soul of the game, the emotion, the personal struggle and sacrifice, and the passions that drives people to disregard caste, creed, and gender to cheer on their team, through victory and loss.

This is an actors' movie, with fine performances by each of the lead actors in recreating the personalities and even facial expressions of each member of the team.  Standing out among the cast of stars if Mr. Singh, who is so convincing as Kapil Dev, you feel as though he has fully taken on his persona.

This movie does remind me of many of the feel-good sports  movies that fill the American screen, particularly during the holiday season.  However, these speak only of individuals.  In a refreshingly Eastern way, 83 tells the tale of a team, a community. It is a dramatic tale of how a band of brothers would unite a nation, and change the face of India forever.