Showing posts with label P R Man Singh. Show all posts
Showing posts with label P R Man Singh. Show all posts
People don’t know what went on in green room-Pankaj Tripathi
8:03 AM
Transforming into Man Singh for '83, Pankaj says film will highlight former Indian cricket team’s manager’s role in World Cup victory
Uma Ramasubramanian (MID-DAY; December 15, 2021)
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 P R 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 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.”
Not too many people know anything about P R Man Singh, but for the 14 players, he was the hero-Pankaj Tripathi
7:59 AM
Pankaj Tripathi on playing manager of India’s World Cup-winning team in Kabir Khan’s sports drama
Ankita Chaurasia (MUMBAI MIRROR; December 2, 2020)
The Coronavirus pandemic may have hit shoots for a six for most, but Pankaj Tripathi has had two releases during the lockdown, the Gunjan Saxena biopic and Anurag Basu’s Ludo. The actor insists he’s a chilled-out dad in real-life too, never pressurising his daughter to be an overachiever. “Everyone wants to be on top today, even the ones who are already there want to go higher. It’s good to be ambitious but not at the cost of your sanity,” he observes, proud that while Aashi’s career choices change every day, her concern for the environment is constant. “Even when they prune trees during the monsoons, she wants me to join her in protesting against it,” he chuckles indulgently.
Dismissing the forced break as necessary and a vaccine as more important than a film release, he maintains that his sports drama, '83, deserves a theatrical experience. “When you watch the film with people around, you will feel like you are in a stadium, watching India lift the World Cup,” he asserts, admitting that he was never a cricket buff and doesn’t remember what he was doing on June 25, 1983.
After meeting all the players who had made the country proud with their cricketing triumph, Pankaj spent a few days with the Indian team manager, P R Man Singh — who he plays in the film — at his Hyderabad home. “Not too many people know anything about him, but for the 14 players, he was the hero,” reveals the actor who also learnt the Hyderabadi dialect to speak like Singh.
Talking about the shoot, he recounts that the film unit had imbibed the spirit of the victorious team after months of workshops. “I’d take advantage of my seniority and my role to admonish them sometimes, and if we packed up early, I’d regale them with stories and my extensive knowledge,” he guffaws, all praise for director Kabir Khan’s artistic sensibilities and his talent for building up an emotional crescendo.
For '83, Pankaj Tripathi faked it till he made it
10:50 AM
Essaying the role of a man obsessed with cricket, 83 actor Pankaj Tripathi on acquiring a love for a sport he never enjoyed
Mohar Basu (MID-DAY; February 2, 2020)
Among countrymen who live and breathe the sport of cricket, Pankaj Tripathi is a bit of an oddball. And even though he may never have found in himself any love for the sport, he still managed to bag a spot on Kabir Khan's squad in the cinematic retelling of India's first World Cup victory.
As P R Man Singh, considered the backbone of the Indian cricket team, Tripathi practically faked it till he made it, as he kept enacting the part of a man who was obsessed with the sport, studying its every technique. Eventually, the actor too developed a soft-spot for the game. "I wasn't drawn to the game when I started shooting for this film. But, every day, I would see the boys [cast members] Ranveer Singh, Saqib Saleem, Tahir Raj Bhasin, and others, work hard. They were being trained by the legends. At the boot-camps, when I'd interact with the players of the original team, I would be in awe," says the actor.
He admits that the story of a team that had little scope of bringing home the winning cup, but did so against all odds, was not one he was willing to let go of. "The spirit of the story, and of the game, is tough to shake off when you begin learning about it. Now, I have started watching matches. India's recent victory made me proud."
I will learn a lot from Pankaj Tripathi-Ranveer Singh
8:32 AM
Chaya Unnikrishnan (DNA; February 10, 2019)
For his film based on India’s Cricket World Cup win in 1983, director Kabir Khan has put together an ensemble cast to form Team India led by Ranveer Singh who will step into the shoes of Kapil Dev. After Sahil Khattar, Jiiva, Ammy Virk and Harrdy Sandhu, the latest to join the cast is Pankaj Tripathi, who will essay Man Singh, the manager of the 1983 Indian team. Ranveer is looking forward to collaborate with the Bareilly Ki Barfi actor.
He says, “Pankaj Tripathi is one of the finest actors in India. He was a part of Gunday, but he had a brief role. I read somewhere that part of the reason he is doing ’83 is me! That’s a massive thing for him to say. I admire him as an actor. He has done some fine work in Newton, Gurgaon and Mirzapur all of which I have have seen and loved.”
The Padmaavat actor recently met Pankaj at an actors’ round table. He says, “I kept saying, ‘Sir I want to work with you’. I manifested it dil se and it has happened. Kapil and Man Singh have a beautiful track. I think I will learn a lot from him and he will help me grow as an actor.”
Pankaj Tripathi joins Ranveer Singh's winning team in '83
8:20 AM
Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; February 7, 2019)
Confirming the news, Pankaj says that he was always inspired and impressed by Kabir’s films. “He is one of my favourite directors and we met a couple of times but never got an opportunity to work together. Then one day, he called me to narrate the story of 83 and at certain points, it made me tear up,” he reminisces.Pankaj admits that he had not watched the final match in which dark horse India beat favourites West Indies by 43 runs at Lords. “I must have been around eight or nine at the time but I did read about the win in the papers. It’s an inspiring story and I leapt at the opportunity to be a part of the film,” says Pankaj, recalling how he would listen to the cricket commentary on radio as he didn’t have a TV set at that point.
Quiz him on his prep and the National Award winner reveals that he used to be a sportsman and loves cricket. “I was good at bowling and fielding and I am hoping to brush up my batting skills while prepping for this film. I will also meet Man Singh ji and talk to him about his experiences. For now, I have been given some books and documents to refer to,” informs Pankaj.
On the subject of Ranveer he says that he’s known his co-star since his first film, Band Baaja Baaraat, and have some common friends through whom they have met before. “Working together will give us a chance to bond more. He’s very spirited and I’ve always got very warm vibes from him. I can’t wait to start shooting for the film,” he signs off.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)