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Ranveer Singh

Deepika Padukone

Pankaj Tripathy

PR. Man Singh

Tahir Raj Bhasin

Sunil Gavaskar

Saqib Saleem

Mohinder Amarnath

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83 Movie Review : The story of India’s first world cup victory makes for a thrilling watch

• Times Of India

In-depth Analysis

Our overall critic’s rating is not an average of the sub scores below.

83 - Official Trailer (Hindi)

83 - Official Trailer (Tamil)

83 - Official Trailer (Telugu)

83 - Official Trailer (Kannada)

83 - Official Trailer (Malayalam)

83 - Motion Poster

83 | Song - Lehra Do

83 | Song - Bigadne De

83 | Song - Sakht Jaan

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Kaushik Biswas 5481 642 days ago

Good direction with very simple details, but expectation is high. Good acting.

Subhabrata Saha 692 days ago

Total disastrous movie. Absolute trash.

agrimjaiswal 711 days ago

User agarwal 987 728 days ago, raghu6300386775 raghu 113 730 days ago.

Kapil Dev Hit the ball out of the park.

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83 review – cricket crowdpleaser puts a new spin on the underdog movie

India’s stunning 1983 World Cup triumph is retold in endearing style by a sports film with a sharp anticolonialist drive

P reviously a fashioner of star vehicles for Salman Khan, director Kabir Khan anchors this nimble and big-hearted biopic of the India cricket team’s improbable 1983 World Cup triumph in a smiling performance from new-generation hunk Ranveer Singh as captain Kapil Dev. Dev’s wobbly English, which makes him a laughing stock among his teammates, seems to stand for the group’s inferiority complex. But inside this awkwardness is an obduracy and capacity for improvisation that becomes the guiding light of their victory run. As he blurts out on the team bus: “Taste the success once, tongue want more!”

India, who had only won a single World Cup match before the tournament, were deeply unfancied outsiders. So Khan frames the arrival in England of Dev, and other now legendary cricketers such as Sunil Gavaskar (played by Tahir Raj Bhasin) and Roger Binny (Nishant Dahiya), in jauntily comic underdog vein. They exceed import regulations by bringing in pickles to spice up British grub and ogle sex workers’ calling cards; they’re beaten in the warm-ups by a county side and condescended to by officials, journalists and commentators. What separates 83 from the likes of The Full Monty, though, is a realpolitik edge; in finding their groove and turning over a terrifying West Indies side whose fast-bowling style the film suggests was their riposte to their one-time British masters, the Indians were also mustering an anti-colonial poke in the eye.

There are a lot of matches and players to cover, but Khan skates energetically through it all, sketching tactical shifts in creaseside exchanges between batsmen and deploying economic character riffs (Viv Richards gets a funky fanfare every time he struts on). He adroitly balances entertainment and politics, mostly ducking the kind of hoarse nationalism currently creeping into Indian and Chinese blockbusters and lobbing in his anti-colonial spinners at unexpected moments. One scene in which Indira Gandhi muses on the World Cup’s potential to defuse tensions on the domestic front hints at sport’s role as part of the bread-and-circuses setup for distracting the masses.

83 doesn’t delve any further than that into what degree sporting victory ever translates to social and political progress. But it is an endearing sports film with just enough awareness of where it stands, now that Britain’s imperial legacy is being questioned more than ever, on a larger field.

83 is released in cinemas on 24 December.

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83 Review: Ranveer Singh Lives The Part Of Kapil Dev In Rousing Cinematic Saga

83 review: the actors around ranveer - notably pankaj tripathi as p r man singh, saqib saleem as mohinder amarnath, jiiva as k srikkanth and jatin sarna as yashpal sharma - play their roles to perfection..

83 : A still from the film. (courtesy: 83thefilm )

Cast: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Pankaj Tripathi, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jiiva, Saqib Saleem, Jatin Sarna, Chirag Patil, Dinker Sharma, Nishant Dahiya, Harrdy Sandhu, Sahil Khattar, Ammy Virk, Addinath Kothare, Dhairya Karwa and R Badree

Director: Kabir Khan

Rating: 4 Stars (out of 5)

Once upon a time in India, cricket and cinema were the two great national glues. It was 1983. The gentleman's game was just that and the men who played it were part of a time-honoured tradition that placed upon them the responsibility of turning out in their white flannels not to profit but to prosper as sportsmen. No team took that ideal to heart quite as enthusiastically as India, which lifted the 1983 World Cup after having returned win from the first two editions of the limited-overs tournament with a solitary victory (against a cobbled-up East Africa). The dramatic triumph signalled the coming of age of Indian cricket in a manner that nobody, not even the skipper himself or the men who ran the sport in the country, could have imagined.

The perennial underdogs toppled the powerful Calypso men - led by the redoubtable Clive Lloyd and spearheaded by batting powerhouse Viv Richards and a dreaded battery of tearaway fast bowlers - and rewrote the history books.

A film about that stunning victory was waiting to happen but we, not without reason, doubted if Bollywood had the bandwidth to do justice to the sporting watershed. The Indian team of that memorable English summer had made critics - one of them literally - eat their words. N ow that Kabir Khan's 83 is here, our critical apprehensions, too, have turned out to be unfounded.

83 is a rousing, pulse-pounding, soul-stirring cinematic saga that is informed with all the emotion, excitement and euphoria that gripped the nation on June 25, 1983 and on all the other match days that preceded a sold-out final that saw India defend a modest 183 against seemingly invincible West Indies and scale a remarkable cricket pinnacle.

A cricket drama would be a washout without the camera and the actors getting the nuances of the game right. While the director of photography Aseem Mishra does a phenomenal job of keeping the action on the field - large parts of 83 unfold in the cricket arena - both real and intimate, the actors do not let the physical and technical challenge of coming across as authentic batsmen and bowlers overawe them.

There can be no denying that 83 is the film it is because of the astounding central performance by Ranveer Singh. In fact, it would be inaccurate to call it a performance. The lead actor lives the part and, like Kapil Dev did, leads from the front. There is no pottering around for him. He grasps the role with unbridled passion and meets its demands head-on.

Just as Kapil's spirit and spunk would have come to naught had his boys not pulled their weight too, the actors around Ranveer - notably Pankaj Tripathi as team manager P.R. Man Singh, Saqib Saleem as Mohinder Amarnath, Jiiva as Krishnamachari Srikkanth and Jatin Sarna as Yashpal Sharma - step up to the plate and play their roles to perfection.

83 is a product of outstanding teamwork. The writers - director Kabir Khan, Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan and Vasan Bala - do not jettison the known Bollywood methods of pumping up the drama and yet steer clear of excess as they recapture the adrenaline rush and the heart-stopping tension that accompanied the incredible deeds of the men who were summarily written off.

The Indians were expected to exit the tournament without troubling any of their opponents or their travel agent who had booked them on a return (or onward in the case of a few players) on a date well before the semi-final. The latter, though never seen or heard, has a key role in 83 as a marker of how the team's prospects were viewed by the cricket board, its World Cup opponents and its supporters alike.

One might feel that a few of the mid-pitch conversations between the players, the flaring tempers and the quaky nerves in the dressing room and the fervour among the crowds in the stadium and in various pockets of India could have been toned down just a touch for the sake of realism. But as 83 orchestrates the high points of the story and the action rises to a crescendo in a profoundly moving climax - everything appears to fall into place.

Despite the fact that we know how it is all going to end, the film has us on tenterhooks thanks to the little emotion-sparking tropes and the minor tweaks and fictional additions (including a communal riot-hit small town that quickly forgets its troubles as India march into the knockout stage of the World Cup and a household with a television set opens its doors to everyone in the neighbourhood) that it taps to great effect. As we watch the 1983 drama from the perspective of our fractious times, we can't help but wonder if cricket still has the same power to unify us.

A still from 83 .

The conflict that 83 dramatizes is not just on the field of play against teams that were much mightier on paper (and otherwise) but also within the Indian team and in the hearts and minds of the its members. None of them had any belief in themselves to begin with. Srikkanth, at a party thrown by the Indian commissioner to London, admits as much.

The English cricket authorities did not give the team any chance either, withholding Lord's Cricket Ground passes for the Indians until they booked a semi-final slot.

A small aside. Long before the term WAGs made it into the lexicon, the wives of Kapil Dev (Deepika Padukone, one of the producers of the film), Amarnath, Madan Lal (Harrdy Sandhu), Sunny Gavaskar (Tahir Raj Bhasin) and Srikkanth, joined the team halfway through the tournament but girlfriends, as Ravi Shastri (played Dhairya Karwa) learns from the team manager, were not allowed in the team hotel.

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This was 1983 after all. Freedom had its limits. Batsmen did not play reverse sweeps or paddle shots; the concept of slog overs had not come into being; and great store was still set by playing with a straight bat even when runs had to be scored at a fair clip. 83 chronicles a significant point of departure in Indian cricket. The Cup came home but, just as importantly, the likes of Kapil Dev and Srikkanth provided intimations of a brand of unorthodox strokeplay that was to alter the game in the years ahead.

Indian cricket was indeed changing and so was the nation. Nothing can rival the thrill of that unforgettable day in 1983 that saw India graduate from being an also-ran to being hailed as a legitimate contender for big cricketing titles. 83 comes pretty close to achieving the impossible. No mean feat that. The film and its principal star go for broke and, as one feeds off the other, the result is an absolute cracker.

Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Pankaj Tripathi, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jiiva, Saqib Saleem, Jatin Sarna, Chirag Patil, Dinker Sharma, Nishant Dahiya, Harrdy Sandhu, Sahil Khattar, Ammy Virk, Addinath Kothare, Dhairya Karwa and R Badree

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83 movie review: Ranveer Singh and his Devils take you time-travelling in this excellent, emotional film

83 movie review: if you needed a reason to walk into a theatre, kabir khan's 83 is that film which calls for a big screen experience..

I remember when the 1983 World Cup legends visited The Kapil Sharma show amid heavy buzz. Over two years later, Kabir Khan recreates somewhat similar magic on screen with his film 83 that celebrates India’s first-ever World Cup win in England. It transports you to that era, allowing you to be a part of that victorious moment. In all honesty, I very much felt like I was sitting in that stadium, cheering for Team India each time they hit a boundary and tearing up on the loss of every wicket. On top of it, I couldn’t see any actors on the screen during the 160 minutes runtime of 83 — it all looked so real.

Ranveer Singh takes the arduous task of stepping into the shoes of Kapil Dev and aces it, especially with the Natraj pose. He gets into the skin of the then captain with so much conviction and excitement that in some scenes, you actually search for the actor Ranveer but don't complain when you see Kapil Dev hitting it out of the park. Full marks for the physical resemblance, body language and mannerisms, however, in some portions, I felt he goes a bit overboard with the heavy accent and dialogue delivery. But his hold of the Punjabi and broken English is quite how you would imagine Kapil Dev speaking back then.

Ranveer doesn't do it all alone, he pulls it off with support from his team. Each of them, so convincingly, looked the part they portrayed on screen. Ranveer's camaraderie with all his teammates, especially with Saqib Saleem playing Mohinder Jimmy Amarnath, is endearing and unmissable. Tahir Raj Bhasin as Sunil Gavaskar , Jatin Sarna as Yashpal Sharma , Tamil actor Jiiva as Srikkanth, Ammy Virk as Balwinder Sandhu and Harrdy Sandhu as Madan Lal hold on to their characters and shine in each frame. The prep that all the 11 players on screen have undergone, shows in their techniques and game on the field. Not to forget Pankaj Tripathi as PR Man Singh, the team's manager, who not only adds the humour but also lends a strong support to the team.

Although the disclaimer in the beginning of the film clearly states that some characters have been fictionalised and dramatised just for the story, I am curious to know exactly which parts were true, and which ones were taken creative liberties. Nonetheless, 83 beautifully encapsulates Team India's journey, struggle, defeats, inner conflicts, personal losses and most importantly, their passion to win — not for themselves but for the country. Kabir Khan's film is less about the story and more about its characters and how they, despite once laughing at their captain's words - 'We will win the World Cup' – end up putting their best foot forward to make that a reality.

Also read: 83: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone join Kapil Dev and Romi at Red Sea Fest, meet cheering fans. See pics

Making a film based on such a historic milestone was quite a risky proposition for director Kabir Khan because you can't afford to go wrong with facts here. But the minute details and nuances in the story that he highlights in the film makes you believe in his research and dedication towards the project. Yes, the film is about India's win but Kabir doesn't hesitate to tell us how most Indians never believed that India could win the World Cup. The mockery and sarcasm hits you hard through some scenes. I particularly loved the references to how a game of cricket can take precedence over communal violence and bring people from all strata of society under one roof. The scene where a woman delivers her baby right when Team India is playing their final match, and how the family names him 'Kapil' as soon as the country wins, is heartwarming. Another scene in which a younger Sachin Tendulkar screams, “Main bhi India ke liye cricket khelunga (I will also play for India)” fills one with pride to know how this historic win impacted people's lives. Even while showing the personal stories of the players, Kabir has effortlessly blended it in the screenplay and it doesn’t seem like a forced attempt.

Also read: Ranveer Singh shares video of his ‘dear father-in-law’ Prakash Padukone sharing memories of '83 World Cup. Watch

The film also stars Deepika Padukone as Kapil Dev's wife Romi Dev but she has very little to do apart from sitting on the stands, smiling or crying depending on the team's game.

The music of the film deserves a special mention. For once, you don't have song and dance sequences that seem forced, as both the tracks--Lehra Do and Bigadne Do--play as background music, aptly fitting the situation, evoking emotions.

At several places, 83 gets high on nationalism, which could have been easily avoided. But that's something one kind of overlooks for the pride and joy you experience on seeing the team lift that trophy. If you needed a reason to walk into a theatre, 83 is that film which calls for a big screen experience.

Director: Kabir Khan

Cast: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Pankaj Tripathi, Saqib Saleem, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jatin Sarna, Ammy Virk, Harrdy Sandhu, Nishant Dahiya, Dhairya Karwa, Adinath Kothare, Dinker Sharma

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Common sense media reviewers.

Inspiring underdog sports biopic has racism, smoking.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

The film is an underdog story, all about never giv

Kapil Dev is the captain of the Indian cricket tea

The film is about the Indian cricket side of 1983,

There is a brawl on the street between racist Engl

Sex is referred to when a cricket coach tells thei

There is one use of the word "Paki" -- which is a

The Indian cricket team are seen smoking on the te

Parents need to know that ' 83 is a sports underdog drama, based on actual events, with plenty of positive messages but also some racism and smoking. The action takes place in 1983 when the Indian cricket team, led by captain Kapil Dev (Ranveer Singh), defied the odds to become world champions. The…

Positive Messages

The film is an underdog story, all about never giving up and overcoming the odds in the face of adversity. It also celebrates the importance of teamwork and how coming together can help people achieve their dreams. How sport can unify people, no matter their religious beliefs.

Positive Role Models

Kapil Dev is the captain of the Indian cricket team and leads by example. He shows tough love to his teammates but has good intentions: he just wants to win. The English cricket team and commentators show an arrogance that is peppered with racial prejudice. Commentators speak down of the Indian team, while the England cricket team claims they will make the West Indies side "grovel."

Diverse Representations

The film is about the Indian cricket side of 1983, so the leading stars hail from that nation. The Indian side's main competitors are the West Indies, meaning the film is populated by people of color. It is, however, a very male-dominated movie given it's set within a men's sporting team, with only one true female character of note. Some racist behavior and language, which is intended to show some of the hardships the Indian cricket team and their fans had to endure.

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Violence & Scariness

There is a brawl on the street between racist English nationalists and Indian cricket supporters. Injuries are inflicted from hard and fast bowling on the cricket field. A ball smashes into the face of a batsman, leaving them with a facial injury and a bloody nose.

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Sex, Romance & Nudity

Sex is referred to when a cricket coach tells their players not to engage in intercourse the night before a game. Later one member of the side admits they have a sexually transmitted disease.

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There is one use of the word "Paki" -- which is a racial slur. The words "s--t," "bloody," and "bugger" are also used.

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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

The Indian cricket team are seen smoking on the team bus, as well as drinking alcohol. They are also shown celebrating a victory at a pub, drinking beer. Other instances of people smoking cigarettes and cricket fans are seen with alcohol in their hands.

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Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that ' 83 is a sports underdog drama, based on actual events, with plenty of positive messages but also some racism and smoking. The action takes place in 1983 when the Indian cricket team, led by captain Kapil Dev ( Ranveer Singh ), defied the odds to become world champions. The Indian cricket team never give up and show great teamwork. Dev leads by example and is a positive role model. He shows his teammates tough love, but pushes them to succeed and to better themselves. A racially-charged brawl sees English nationalists fight a group of Indian supporters, using the racial slur "Paki" in the process. "S--t" and "bloody" are also used. Some bloodshed on the cricket field as a result of players being hit by fast balls. Sex is referred to, as one character claims to have an STD. The Indian cricket team are seen smoking on their team bus, as well as drinking in celebration. With the Indian and West Indies sides dominating the World Cup that year, it leads to an incredibly diverse cast. However, there is very little for women to do, with just one real character of note, which is Dev's wife Romi ( Deepika Padukone ). The movie is in both Hindi and English. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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What's the Story?

'83 is the incredible true story of the Indian cricket team who competed in the World Cup in England in 1983. Led by captain Kapil Dev ( Ranveer Singh ), the Indians are not considered to be favorites, especially considering they have to come up against the formidable West Indies side. But this is a team that never knows when to quit, as they seek to defy the odds and return home as world champions.

Is It Any Good?

This sporting drama, based on actual events, is a film that you'll have seen many times before, just in different guises. ' 83 follows the conventional sports-movie format, thriving in its celebration of the underdog. While it's incredibly familiar, it's comfortingly so, as a film that's very easy to sit back and enjoy. It is, however, far too long (not far off three hours), and as such becomes repetitive in its narrative structure.

Each and every passing game has the same dramatic conflicts. Will India defy the odds and do the unthinkable? Then they win, thus doing the unthinkable. Then comes the next round and the same questions are posed again -- and it's always the same answer. From a pedantic viewpoint, the period details are disappointing, as it doesn't truly feel like you're in 1980s London. The film is also overtly patriotic, almost nauseatingly so. But ultimately ' 83 is a film where what you see is what you get. It's uplifting, and has its charm, and by the end you're fully invested.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about some of the positive messages in '83 . What did the movie have to say about teamwork and perseverance ? Why are these such important character strengths to have?

Kapil Dev is a wonderful captain and role model that inspires his teammates and pushes them to succeed. Do you have somebody in you life who inspires you? What qualities do they demonstrate which inspire you?

Discuss some of the racism the Indian cricket team and its supporters faced? How did it make you feel seeing and hearing these things in the film? How to talk with kids about racism and racial violence.

Discuss the smoking in the film. How have attitudes toward smoking changed from when the film is set?

What do you know about the sport of cricket? Did this film inspire you to go and learn more about it? What is the appeal of sports movies?

Movie Details

• In theaters : December 23, 2021
• On DVD or streaming : March 21, 2022
• Cast : Ranveer Singh , Deepika Padukone , Tahir Raj Bhasin
• Director : Kabir Khan
• Inclusion Information : Female actors, Indian/South Asian actors
• Studio : Reliance Entertainment
• Genre : Drama
• Topics : Sports and Martial Arts , Great Boy Role Models , History
• Character Strengths : Perseverance , Teamwork
• Run time : 162 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : February 17, 2023

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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83 Movie Review: 83 is a winner on pitch, on screen too.

83 is a must watch for those who witnessed the victory and for those who didn't as well., 83 review {4.0/5} & review rating.

To encapsulate an iconic victory on celluloid is a Herculean task. More so, if the event took place several decades ago [almost four decades ago, in this case]. Besides getting the details and facts right, the storyteller needs to recreate the bygone era with precision and also make sure the actors portraying the parts resemble those who achieved the heroic victory.

Most importantly, since it’s a cinematic format, the storyteller needs to narrate the highs and lows of the victorious past in a succinct manner to keep the moviegoer hooked to the goings-on. In this case, the outcome is known to one and all, but the journey is unknown to many. For this reason, the incidents interwoven in the screenplay ought to be absorbing, avoiding cinematic liberties. Special care should also be taken that it doesn’t become a documentary.

83 attempts to narrate the story of the underdogs - the Indian cricket team - and what transpired behind the scenes before they won the World Cup in 1983 .

The generation that watched/read about the 1983 win - me included - will recall how everyone was so impatient to know the outcome of the final match. There was no social media [or news portals] then. We had to rely on radio, newspapers and of course, the B&W television to watch the crucial match. The cricketers had become household names and I distinctly remember, we were cheering and praying for the ‘Men in White’ as they took on the mighty West Indies cricket team in the finals.

The next morning, the newspapers devoted front-page headlines to celebrate the iconic victory, honouring the heroes and their heroism on the cricket pitch.

You relive those moments when you watch 83. Of course, a majority of viewers don’t know the backstory or what actually transpired behind the scenes. The film works for that reason, besides other reasons too. More on that later. For those who recall that era affectionately or were born in the 1990s [or in subsequent years], the World Cup win is immortalised on celluloid with 83.

Let’s give you a brief outline of the plot of 83… 1983 . The World Cup is all set to be held in UK. The Indian cricket team - led by Kapil Dev [ Ranveer Singh ] - is participating amidst negligible expectations. Not just the international media, even cricket fans have zilch hopes that Indians would emerge victorious.

Pankaj Tripathi: “Zindagi experience ka bhandar hai, jab kam ho jata hai to…”| 83 | Ranveer Singh

Director Kabir Khan and his team of writers incorporate pertinent episodes before the Indians were crowned champions. The humiliation, the nervousness, the anxiety, the pressures of facing several legendary players on pitch - 83 encompasses it all.

Yet, there are minor hiccups in the first hour especially. The entire conversation that happens in the commentary box [Boman Irani] - while all matches are being played - is in English. Agree, one has to stick to realism, but the lines spoken by Boman could’ve been in Hindi. This will certainly prove to be a hindrance for those who don’t speak/comprehend English.

Also, the first half can do with trimming. A few sequences seem stretched, which should’ve been sharpened during the edit for a better impact.

There are some moments that make you emotional too and moist-eyed as well. There’s a particular sequence of a child telling Kapil Dev that he won’t be watching Indians play the matches. Another emotional moment comes at the interval point, when the Indians have faced a humiliating defeat by the rival team. Fantastic sequences, both.

Things brighten up in the second hour and thankfully, Kabir Khan and the writers get it right for most parts. Deepika’s introduction in this hour is a plus, so is the way the screenwriting moves to the finale. The conclusion is euphoric and am sure, the viewers will greet it with cheers, claps and even ceetees.

The best is reserved for the last. Enters Kapil Dev at this point, who narrates some hitherto unknown anecdotes that deserve an ovation.

Kabir Khan's direction is splendid. 83 is a tough film to make and despite the presence of competent actors, the film would’ve fallen flat if the execution of the sports-saga would’ve been inferior. Kabir gives his best shot, hits the boundary in the second and third acts, which is what the viewer carries home when he/she exits the auditorium. He balances the drama on pitch and the tears, laughter and smiles in the dressing room skilfully.

There’s not much scope for music here, but the one song that stays on your lips is ‘Lehra Do’. The background score is effective. The DoP captures the mood of the film with precision.

83 has a plethora of actors and while each of them have done their parts with utmost sincerity, the captain of the show is undoubtedly Ranveer Singh . He delivers a sparkling performance. 83 is one of those films that proves his versatility. He excels in a character that’s tailor-made for him. Deepika is wonderful, her soothing presence adds to the sequences she features in. Pankaj Tripathi is in terrific form. It’s a joy to watch him on screen.

Kabir devotes substantial footage to every member of the prominent cast. The ones who stand out include Jiiva, Saqib Saleem, Jatin Sarna and Ammy Virk.

On the whole, 83 is a winner - on pitch, on screen too. Those who witnessed the victory would be glad to relive the experience, while those who didn’t, will get a chance to witness how things unfolded during one of the greatest episodes of Indian sports history. Watch it!

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Best story - 1.5 Best Direction - 1.5 Ghatiya Acting - 1 overall for family story of 25th June 1983…

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'83' movie review: Kabir Khan's multi-starrer is wishful but entertaining

In Kabir Khan's first film, Kabul Express (2006), a journalist and a soldier get into an argument over who is the greatest all-rounder in cricket. The soldier elects Imran Khan; the journalist, under great duress, counters with Kapil Dev. The argument gets so heated that Suhel (John Abraham), the reporter's dispassionate friend, has to break it up. "Cricket is a bloody waste of time,” he grumbles from the front seat. "11 players standing in a field scratching their crotches."

The blasphemy of that statement-which both shocked and tickled me when I first heard it-is greatly undone in Kabir's latest. 83 is the director's ode to cricket, its innate power to move and excite. The sport and its glory are given central attention in this 163-minute film.

It begins with the Indian team convening for the 1983 World Cup in England and Wales-and it ends with them winning it. There are no extended backstories for the individual players. Kabir, playing to the widest gallery possible, does not bother with history lessons. Any context is snuck in sideways, PR Man Singh telling a young Kapil Dev that we won freedom in 1947, but not respect.

The Kapil in this film is played by Ranveer Singh. Excluding the Santa Claus voice ("Shorry, Shorry"), the actor gets a lot right, from decisive bowling action to post-wicket celebratory run. Yet, more than the physical resemblance-which is fine-it's his mix of energy and introspection that ultimately anchors this film.

Outwardly, his Kapil is great fun, both on-field and in the jolly downtime between matches. But we also see the other side to this captain. Told to address his team for the first time, Kapil hesitates, saying seven of them are his seniors. His faltering English-initially just a comic track-becomes an important plot point in the story. The film could have gone with either: master strategist or a nervous lad. Ranveer, though, gives us both.

The fun kicks in with the Indian side struggling in the group matches. They're an odd, funny bunch-giggling around the Queen, pulling pranks on each other. We begin to see them as types: Srikkanth (Jiiva), the chain-smoking charmer; Yashpal Sharma (Jatin Sarna), the resident hothead; Roger Binny (Nishant Dahiya), the brood. Gradually, though, a more complex dynamic emerges. Following a misunderstanding with Kapil, Sunny (Tahir Raj Bhasin) drops out of a match.

He recovers and comes around, as do other players in a fix. It's a fine way to introduce new setbacks without interrupting the narrative flow. But it lacks wit. Why would Balwinder Sandhu (Ammy Virk), facing a personal crisis before an important game, be so simpleminded as to be lectured by Kapil, who is three years his junior?

Perhaps the in-team excitement is necessary. This film, after all, shuns a clear antagonist. The West Indies squad-represented by the formidable duo of Clive Lloyd and Vivian Richards-is portrayed with swagger and verve.

Kapil even talks highly of the defending champs, in a scene that acknowledges the colonial ties between the teams. Yet this sportsmanship isn't reflected off-field. A West Indies supporter is shown as a cruel heckler during a match. And when India beats out England in the semis, it's those sour Brits who start a fight. 

Kabir parallels these events with scenes from home. Indians in the early 80s weren't as cricket-crazy as they are today. However, two initial wins-followed by Kapil's smashing at Tunbridge Wells-gets them watching. This is where 83 is at its most wishful.

We're shown soldiers braving enemy shelling to listen to radio commentary, a Muslim family opening the door to riot police. Kabir and his writers (Sanjay Puran Singh, Vasan Bala, Sumit Arora) pump up the emotions to a fever pitch. The song Lehra Do is the cinematic equivalent of a doosra spin. It is bound to get you in the feels, the most battered spot in a Kabir Khan film.

83 isn't the sharpest of sports spectacles. Its insistence on detail and technique is soon replaced by high drama. The delectable dryness of 80s cricket is majorly missed in the film. What's undeniable, though, is the occasional smartness of the writing. Kapil refers to his mongoose bat as his 'talvar', an apt metaphor for the bat's design as well as the battle at hand. 

Early on in the film, we see him drop a catch-fans of the 1983 finale can wink at what this means. These devices animate the film better than the soundtrack (or Boman Irani's tension-dissipating commentary). Deepika Padukone's cameo has been teased enough to pack any surprises. There are other cameos, real and fictional, to please fans. Kabir's ALL CAPS filmmaking is at full force in 83. 

I watched it with other journalists, and there were teary eyes all around. The moment was best summed up by Mohinder Amarnath (Saqib Saleem) on screen. " Kisi ko bolio mat main ro raha tha ," he tells Kapil at one point."Don't tell anyone I was crying."

Cast: Ranveer Singh, Pankaj Tripathi, Saqib Saleem, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jiiva, Deepika Padukone, Boman Irani

Director: Kabir Khan

Rating: 3/5

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‘83’ movie review: Bollywood actor Ranveer Singh delivers a captain’s knock in cricket biopic

Entertainment bollywood.

If you are in the mood for an engaging film that unites cricket and cinema, this is it

We just tasted blood and we love it.

A cricket fanatic will devour Ranveer Singh’s sporting biopic ‘83’ chronicling India’s monumental 1983 World Cup win with relish and childlike delight, while a cricket agnostic like me will watch this film with a mixture of fascination, indulgence and occasional fidgetiness.

And that’s a masterful stroke by director Kabir Khan, who has brought to life one of India’s biggest sporting glories to life with a deft hand. He breaks down the real-life uplifting episode in a way that strikes gold with both cricket-mad Indians and the minuscule minority who don’t particularly care for the game.

But make no doubt that this vanilla film, culled from the real-life accounts of an underdog team led by captain Kapil Dev — an on-point Singh — demolishing a Goliath team like the West Indies, is entertaining but it’s also subtly manipulative. However, you won’t hear anyone complain.

Singh as the eternally optimistic captain Dev is endearing, but it’s his band of boys — made up of perfectly cast actors like Jiiva as K Srikkanth and Tahir Raj Bhasin as Sunil Gavaskar — that add heft and gravitas to this thoroughly enjoyable feature. Like any sporting biopic worth its salt, it’s a classic underdog tale riddled with conflict, challenges, redemption and jubilation. And Singh and his boys march to those beats with absolute conviction.

Singh, who’s usually flamboyant with a dressing sense that would put Liberace’s wardrobe to shame, is restrained in his role as the much-revered captain who anchors and shepherds his motley crew. The cricketing world has written them off even before they stepped onto the pitch, but these guys won’t go down without a valiant fight.

It’s not just the physicality of the players — who bear close resemblance to the actual champions — that stands out. For instance, apart from his dentures and hairstyle mimicking Dev’s actual persona, Singh seems to have imbibed his spirit and grit.

Singh, the star, is nowhere to be found as he treats us to an immersive experience of a leader whose English grammar is faulty ground, but his expertise is on rock-solid turf. Actor Jiiva as the sprightly South Indian batsman K Srikkanth and actor Saqib Saleem as batsman Mohinder Amarnath breathe life into their characters without reducing them into caricatures. The odds were clearly stacked against them, but they manage to thrive and their triumphant ending is capitalised neatly by director Khan.

There will be parts in the film that seem to have been deliberately inserted to induce tears, but that’s a tiny bump on the road. For instance, the scenes where a small child waves the Indian flag or where an old man in India watches the game with tears streaming down his face may seem forced, but it didn’t ruin the film for any of us. Plus, the boys all seem impossibly jolly or just borderline petty, but they all are good blokes in totality — which is slightly difficult to believe.

• Bollywood film ‘83’ takes the NFT route, to drop collection on December 23
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Actress Deepika Padukone plays Romi Dev’s part with a quiet dignity, but the climax where the overly emotional wives of cricketers nervously watch their husbands at play was stretching it. Their inclusion in the narrative felt stilted and forced. But the same couldn’t be said about how director Khan wove the political and social realities of the 1980s into the film, which is mostly set on the field. There was plenty of context and not just a bunch of players hitting balls out of the stadium. You were rooting for every Indian player who made history in 1983 by bringing home the coveted World Cup. It was epic back then and this epic on that win bowled us over too.

Director: Kabir Khan

Cast: Ranveer Singh, Pankaj Tripathi, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jiiva, Saqib Saleem, Jatin Sarna, Chirag Patil, Dinker Sharma, Nishant Dahiya, Harrdy Sandhu, Sahil Khattar, Ammy Virk, Adinath Kothare, Dhairya Karwa, R Badree, Deepika Padukone, Neena Gupta

Stars: 3.5 out of 5

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Original Title: 83

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We checked for updates on 246 streaming services on April 25, 2024 at 8:28:08 PM. Something wrong? Let us know!

83 streaming: where to watch online?

Currently you are able to watch "'83" streaming on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads.

Where does '83 rank today? The JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts are calculated by user activity within the last 24 hours. This includes clicking on a streaming offer, adding a title to a watchlist, and marking a title as 'seen'. This includes data from ~1.3 million movie & TV show fans per day.

Streaming charts last updated: 1:17:53 AM, 04/26/2024

'83 is 23605 on the JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts today. The movie has moved up the charts by 25237 places since yesterday. In the United States, it is currently more popular than The Mind Snatchers but less popular than Special Correspondents.

On the 25th of June 1983, the Lord’s Cricket Ground witnessed one of the biggest underdog stories in the history of sports. Fourteen inspired players - led by a man's self-belief and conviction - fought against all odds and orchestrated India’s greatest sporting triumph by beating the two-time World Champions West Indies.

Videos: Trailers, Teasers, Featurettes

Streaming Charts The JustWatch Daily Streaming Charts are calculated by user activity within the last 24 hours. This includes clicking on a streaming offer, adding a title to a watchlist, and marking a title as 'seen'. This includes data from ~1.3 million movie & TV show fans per day.

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• Common Sense Media Stefan Pape This sporting drama, based on actual events, is a film that you'll have seen many times before, just in different guises.
• Critic's Notebook Martin Tsai But the screenplay, by Kabir Khan (who also directs), Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan and Vasan Bala, doesn't explain how the lowly longshots managed to turn things around: hard work, strategy, luck, kismet or all of the above.

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