‘HOPE KAPIL SIR GIVES ME SOME TRAINING’
Ranveer Singh, who plays exIndian captain Kapil Dev in a film based on the 1983 World Cup victory, says he feels “blessed to have an opportunity” to tell a “great underdog story”
Historically, Bollywood film-makers have never been very high on sports. Be it sports in general or real-life sporting heroes/stories in particular, sports films have been few and far between. But of late, movies such as Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013) and MS Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016) have done extremely well, and a number of them are also in various stages of production. In the latest instance, filmmaker Kabir Khan and Ranveer Singh have joined hands to make a film based on India’s victory at the 1983 Cricket World Cup. HT Café does an exclusive chat with Ranveer Singh — who plays Kapil Dev in the film — about him playing the ex-Indian captain and more. What was your first reaction when the film was offered to you? When Kabir came to me with the movie, I thought, ‘Chalo, it’s great that finally, someone wants — and is planning to — make a mainstream Hindi film on the 1983 World Cup victory. I think since I was born in 1985, I always thought that someone must tell the story of our [world cup] winning story in a sports film. Many also feel it’s a fascinating underdog story. Do you agree? Yes, it is one of the greatest sports stories ever about how a bunch of underdogs — who nobody thought anything of — were banded together, got galvanised by their leader and they went on to win the world cup. It infused the nation with a lot of pride and was clearly a turning point in our sports history. I wasn’t aware that 1983 victory turned the tide because I thought, ‘cricket has always been a huge sport in our country’. You met the 1983 cricket team members at the film launch event. How was it? It was so nice to see them all together and to just feel the vibe, the energy and the sheer bonding between them. They also shared a few great stories and anecdotes about their lives. They shared how they had made advance bookings for their holidays [after the world cup] but had to cancel them as they had to play a tournament [after the world cup got over]. They are all great human stories.
As an actor, do you already feel part of that world, especially after meeting them all?
I feel that the tone for the film was set that day itself. We are happy and blessed that we have got such an opportunity to tell the story of these great sporting heroes. They are amazing and I am happy that a film on this glorious chapter is finally happening. But I admit that it feels unbelievable that I am playing Kapil Dev. It’s really exciting.
We are happy and blessed that we have got such an opportunity to tell the story of these great sporting heroes. They are amazing and I am happy that a film on this glorious chapter is finally happening. RANVEER SINGH, ACTOR