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.

Mali Marshall is gearing up to play the role of his late father in Kabir Khan’s upcoming directorial
Natasha Coutinho (MUMBAI MIRROR; April 15, 2019)

Kabir Khan’s upcoming directorial, ’83, on India’s first cricketing World Cup win, has another son stepping into the shoes of his father. After Chirag Patil who will be stepping in for father Sandeep Patil (Mirror, February 4), the son of the late West Indies fast bowler Malcolm Marshall, Mali will be playing him on screen.

A source from the sets told us that Kabir wants to keep the film as realistic as possible and has been in talks with Mali for a long time. “Mali is a fast bowler and a middle order batsman like his father and suited the part perfectly,” added the source.

Kabir has also approached the sons of other famous West Indian players and talks with them are on, including fast bowler Carl Greenidge, son of Gordon Greenidge. The team is also looking for players who will represent Team England who played India in the semifinals.

Kabir Khan, when contacted, confirmed, “Yes we are thrilled to have Mali Marshall, son of the legend Malcolm Marshall play the role of his father. Not only does he look like his father but his bowling action is also exactly like him. As we all know, Malcolm Marshall was part of the fearsome West Indies quartet of pace bowlers—Marshall, Michael Holding, Joel Garner and Andy Roberts”

Kabir’s team was in Dharamshala recently for a 10-day training and bonding session. Former cricketers from the ’83 team like Kapil Dev, Mohinder Amarnath and Yashpal Sharma dropped by with tips and joined some training sessions helmed by coach Balvinder Singh Sandhu. The actors are also being trained by Under-19 cricketer Rajiv Mehra. Now, they will resume their training in Mumbai. The film, produced by Madhu Mantena, Vishnu Induri, Shibasish Sarkar and Kabir, goes on the floors on May 15 in London and Scotland. It will be shot in a 100-day schedule.