Ahead of shoot, '83 director plans to rope in west indies world cup players sir Viv Richards, Desmond Haynes for interaction with Ranveer & Co
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; May 23, 2019)

Ranveer Singh and his on-screen cricket squad are only a fortnight away from kicking off the shoot of '83 in London. While the boys underwent a 10-day training camp in Dharamshala under the supervision of Kapil Dev and other cricketing legends who brought home the World Cup trophy in 1983, it appears that their training in the sport is far from over. Director Kabir Khan is in the process of arranging an interaction between the actors and the 1983 West Indies team, including Sir Vivian Richards, Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes.

Ammy Virk, who steps into the shoes of Balvinder Singh Sandhu for the sports drama, tells mid- day, "The cast and crew are flying down to London on May 27. We have a 10-day practice session in the British capital. The makers are trying to get Gordon Greenidge, Michael Holding, Viv Richards, Andy Roberts and Desmond Haynes to attend these sessions. [The idea is to get first-hand accounts] of their techniques and their mindspace during the final match. The makers are also hoping that they will be available for a few days during the shoot." The practice sessions will also see the boys — including Saqib Saleem, Sahil Khattar and Jiiva, among others — hit the pitch with actors who will slip into the roles of players from competing nations.

"Our director has chosen actors from all over the world and they will essay the roles of cricketing legends like Malcolm Marshall, Clive Lloyd, Arjuna Ranatunga and many more. Balvinder sir has already held a few sessions with them, but now we will face them on the field," says Amy Virk.