Pankaj Tripathi: People don’t know what went on in green room

Transforming into Man Singh for 83, Pankaj says film will highlight former Indian cricket team’s manager’s role in World Cup victory

First things first, Pankaj Tripathi makes it known that he doesn’t watch cricket. But therein lies the beauty of Kabir Khan’s 83 — it captures the spirit of the Indian cricket team perfectly, and looks set to convert even the most uninterested to a fan of the sport. Tripathi, who has stepped into the shoes of manager PR Man Singh for the retelling of India’s victory at the 1983 cricket World Cup, remembers being stumped by the script. “After reading the script, it almost felt as if [the Indian contingent] went there to develop a script rather than play the sport. It was undoubtedly a brilliant story,” says the actor.   

The actor in 83

The shoot of the Ranveer Singh-starrer was preceded by a boot camp that helped the actors pick up the sport. “I don’t watch cricket. We had vast written material to help us prep for our roles. I met Man sir in Hyderabad. When we went to Dharamshala for a 10-day boot camp, we met all the real-life players. That is when I attained all that I needed to play Man Singh. After I met Man Singh, my look was decided in half an hour. I stepped out of the vanity van [in my get-up], and Kabir Khan said, ‘We have found our Man Singh.’”

While Kapil Dev and his teammates have been widely celebrated over the decades for bringing the World Cup home, Tripathi hopes the sports drama will help people understand Singh’s role in the feat. “Everybody knows the contribution of each team member [on the field]. But people don’t know what went on in the green room, changing room and meeting room. People will know Man Singh’s contribution through the film.”

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