THIS IS 83 MOVIE REVIEW

Review By : Movie Run Time : 2 hour 42 minutes Censor Rating : U Genre : Drama, Inspiring

THIS IS 83 CAST & CREW
Production: Vishnu Vardhan Induri Cast: Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh Direction: Kabir Khan Screenplay: Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan, Vasan Bala Dialogues: Sumit Arora

83 is a film written and directed by Kabir Khan, that has Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Jiiva, Pankaj Tripathi, Tahir Raj and others reprising the roles of the players of the 1983 Indian Cricket World Cup winning team. The film is produced by Deepika Padukone, Kabir Khan, Vishnuvardhan Induri, Sajid Nadiadwala, Reliance Entertainment, Phantom Films, and 83 Films Ltd. 

India entered the Cricket World Cup 1983 as a team that has never won a single match, except a game against East Africa in 1975. With many players being hopeless about winning, the film focuses on how one man - Kapil Dev, marshalls his troops, and made sure each player gave their blood and sweat to win the cup. 83 is a film that documents everything that happened right before the start of the 1983 Cricket World Cup, to India lifting the winning trophy and writing history.

Kabir Khan is a very important filmmaker to Indian Cinema. Despite many sports films releasing prior, he has created a template on his own called the Chak De India genre. And through 83. we see how he was able to do that. Instead of just using the national flag as a tool to make us rise and clap for the Indian team, he adds a couple of fictional elements that don't tamper with the actual events that happened in the 1983 WC. 

For instance, there is a moment of humour where Krishnamachari Srikkanth (played by Jiiva) has to use the restroom to attend nature's call. That could have been just a normal scene that evokes laughter, but Kabir Khan being the genius he is, uses the scene to indicate the building up and release of pressure. It is rare to see something like this on screen. There is something happening on the surface level, at the same time, there is an emotional sub-plot going on if you scratch the surface.

One thing the film has got absolutely right is the casting, starting from Ranveer Singh as Kapil Dev, to Jiiva as Srikkanth, Tahir as Gavaskar, Pankaj Tripathi as PR Mann Singh, Jatin Sarna as Yashpal Sharma and others, they all look believable, not just in appearance but also in their cricketing skills. The effort the team has put in the cricketing side shows on screen and deserves applause. It adds much needed genuinity and authenticity to the film. 

Now Kabir Khan could have opted to go with the Chak De India template that he created. But what he does here is shocking and surprising at the same time. He basically creates a sports film that has no major low point. The Indian team doesn't have that one low moment from which it rises. The players have their own individual low points but that doesn't affect us to the level of us caring so much about it. Without that 'low' point, the film goes from one high to another, and yet engages us so well. This could also be because of the fact that the 'low' was associated with the team itself. No one, including the team members barring Kapil, thought that the team could win the trophy.

The music by Pritam and the cinematography by Aseem Mishra are functional in nature. They are not outstanding by any definition of the word, but provide what the film requires without faltering anywhere. Pritam gets the emotional beats right, and cues the audience how to react for each scene, but all that doesn't matter in a film like this. It is a chance to experience what euphoria the previous generation might have undergone on 25th June 1983. 

Kabir Khan's writing respects the mighty West Indies team that played with a lot of self-respect, and earned it's tag as a cricketing giant. There are ample scenes where you start cheering for their performances as well, especially for Viv Richards, and Malcomm Marshall. There is a shot that Srikkanth plays in the World Cup final, that is dubbed as the shot of the tournament, and the camera captures Vivian Richards applauding it, followed by Srikkanth giving a nod. The film is stacked with whistle worthy moments throughout, and beneath that, it reminds you why cricket is a gentleman's game. 

You cannot take your eyes even for a moment, not because there is something thrilling happening. But because it is an experience that you want to be a part of and relish every single moment. Go give the film a watch, just to time travel around 4 decades back, and witness what and how much the victory meant for all of India.

Verdict: With stellar performances and an extremely engaging screenplay, 83 rides on an emotional high throughout, to become a film that you cannot miss. 

BEHINDWOODS REVIEW BOARD RATING

3.25
3.25 5 ( 3.25 / 5.0 )

PUBLIC REVIEW BOARD RATING

REVIEW RATING EXPLANATION

பிரேக்கிங் சினிமா செய்திகள், திரை விமர்சனம், பாடல் விமர்சனம், ஃபோட்டோ கேலரி, பாக்ஸ் ஆபிஸ் செய்திகள், ஸ்லைடு ஷோ, போன்ற பல்வேறு சுவாரஸியமான தகவல்களை தமிழில் படிக்க இங்கு கிளிக் செய்யவும்      

THIS IS 83 RELATED CAST PHOTOS

This Is 83 (aka) 83

This Is 83 (aka) 83 is a Hindi movie. Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh are part of the cast of This Is 83 (aka) 83. The movie is directed by Kabir Khan. Production by Vishnu Vardhan Induri.