83 - A film that keeps emotion at the center.

83 was ready to release as of April 10, 2020 – that’s almost 2 years ago. While almost all producers decided to release their movies on OTT, Kabir Khan held back. – 

Kabir Khan said - "We will wait for theatres to open"

Watching this film in theatres today, I realize why he said that – This movie… is a Shared experience, An experience that you can only get in cinema halls.

We all know the story of how the Indian cricket team won the 1983 world cup. It’s a watershed moment that changed Indian cricket forever and sowed the seed for India become the cricketing juggernaut that it is today. 

Sitting in 2021, It is hard to imagine an Indian team not having a team bus on their arrival at any country, or Indian cricket captain cleaning his own whites to avoid paying for laundry

But it happened and it is in showcasing such moments that 83 the movie really shines through. 

My Review of the movie on Youtube

 In the first few scenes itself Kabir Khan is able to transport you 40 years back when BCCI the richest and also perhaps the most influential cricketing body in the world was nothing but another sarkari daftar.

I always wondered why filmmakers in India have never made a movie on such a landmark moment in Indian history. 

Making a sports film that too recreating an event like this one isn’t easy –You dramatize too much and people accuse you of peddling lies. You stay true to the facts a bit too much and it all becomes boring.

You focus on an particular individual and you risk having belittling others contributions. You focus on the entire team and you risk losing your audience as they don’t have 1 individual to cheer for.

It’s a tightrope, A tightrope that Kabir khan threads beautifully – He strikes that right balance in all the areas and he does soo, by anchoring everything to the basic EMOTION. He lets emotion be the centerpoint of everything in the movie.

So more than getting the Kapil Dev look right  – it is his anger and frustration of people writing him off that is the centrepiece.

More than getting the Mohinder Amarnath’s action right– He focuses on the fear and respect that he had for his dad to get thru to the audience

While Kris Srikanth mannerisms are on point The focus is on his fearless attitude. Sandip Patils charm, Kirmani's wit and Sunil Gavaskars aura, Yashpal Sharma’s guts.

By shifting the focus almost entirely on emotions. Kabir avoids the pitfalls and invokes in you a feeling of pride. How despite all odds this bunch of ragtags pull off an unexpected win.

He also doesn’t give you a breather to think. Its match after match. While most of us are familiar with the beats of the final match, we don’t know what happened in the matches leading up, so in effect we don’t know when a wicket is coming and when a catch dropped. The swelling background score by Julius Packiam and beautiful camerawork by Aseem Mishra keeps you gripped into the action. Add to that the performances by Ranveer, Jiva and  Saqib Saleem, Jatin sharma and ammy virk.

By the end of the movie you are all so wound up and invested that when the players run back to the pavilion after the final win, its difficult to hold back tears.

I am sure Kabir knew that this movie won’t have even half the impact if you were to watch this on OTT.  I say good call Kabir

Having said all this, I do have some problems with the film

a)       It plays safe – the movie steers clear of any controversy – Like the Kapil / Gavaskar rift, 

      The BCCI at that time was making these 2 play musical chairs with captaincy. 

      That must have had an impact on the relationship. The movie doesn’t explore that at all.

     

     b)      Strategy discussions – there are almost no strategic discussions on how to tackle a particular opponent, like how in Chak de. Srk’s character discusses how his team can break a man to man marking… You don’t get any such thing. The strategy seems to be “Bass jeet kea ana hai”

     c)       Sub plots – There is absolutely nothing else going on apart from the Indian team trying to win the world cup. No interpersonal fights, no ego tussle, no relationships, No grey area either mental or psychological is explored.

d)      The whole Indra Gandhi angel – where she wants the nations attention diverted from communal violence to cricket – dude… what was that.

These small nitpicks aside..  83 works

When people in the theatres cheer and clap for a wicket or a six for a match that has happened 50 years ago… you know you have made a winner.

You can watch it with your entire family… please carry some tissue papers, crying with a mask on isn’t a good idea.