On his birthday, India's former cricket captain Kapil Dev discusses why '83 is an important story to tell and Ranveer Singh's 10-day prep with him.
Kapil Dev and Ranveer Singh
As he clocks 61 years today, birthday boy Kapil Dev admits he has his fingers crossed to see how Kabir Khan's '83, based on India's 1983 Cricket World Cup win, has turned out. From the word go, Dev was deeply involved in enabling leading man Ranveer Singh transform into him for the sports drama. But even as Singh worked had to emulate Dev on screen, the cricket legend says he'd often worry for his health. "He is not 18 [years of age]. I'd see him work so hard on bowling; he'd bowl and play for eight hours constantly to understand the rhythm, and would do so in the peak of summer. In such conditions, even cricketers [avoid training] to prevent injuries. So, I feared for his fitness," says Dev, who opened his home to Singh for 10 days, at the latter's behest as part of the prep.
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"Ranveer told me that he wanted to be with me. I don't know what he was trying to [study] — my actions, my manner of talking or pronunciation. [During the 10-day stay] he was dieting because had to lose weight. He was also practising [with me] during that time," adds the former captain of Team India.
Kapil Dev lifts the 1983 World Cup
While much of what happened on ground during India's 1983 win against West Indies is known, Dev says what makes the drama special is that it will reveal the unheard stories from the dressing room. "People know little about what happens in the dressing room, but, when the movie comes out, it will be a different [revelation]. People don't know too much about what happens in the hotels and at team meetings. [The film will depict] how we planned [the match]. It will also highlight how much fun we had while we played."
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