Just like the ardent cricket followers, actor Pankaj Tripathi is impatiently waiting for Kabir Khan’s 83 to arrive in cinemas. The sports drama, based on Team India’s historic win at the 1983 Cricket World Cup against West Indies at Lord’s, is set to hit the theatres on December 24 and Tripathi is certain that the film will be a huge success in recreating the euphoria that the Indians experienced after the ’83 victory.
In 83, Tripathi plays the role of PR Man Singh, whose tireless devotion led Kapil’s ‘Devils’ to ultimate glory in the 1983 World Cup. The long-delayed project stars Ranveer Singh as former captain Kapil Dev.
“Doing a scene at Lord’s dressing room will always be memorable for me,” Tripathi told us. “We were not just recreating history but also living it and those moments will be etched in our memories forever. Winning the 1983 World Cup was a historic moment for India but I’m certain that this film will also create history,” the actor added.
Talking about his meeting with Man Singh, Tripathi said, “I had gone to meet him in Hyderabad before the film’s shoot. I learned a lot from him and heard a lot of stories about the 1983 World Cup. It was an amazing meeting. He is an extremely dedicated, focused, and disciplined human being. He’s extremely fond of cricket. He has converted the third floor of his house into a huge cricket museum. Moreover, he still writes about cricket despite being in his late 70s.”
What was his reaction to the script of 83? The actor said, “I was excited as well as emotional after the story was narrated to me. I just told them to let me know when I have to shoot. I was really busy at that time. But I turned down a few films to take time out for 83.”
Tripathi, who is best known for his role as the menacing crime lord, Kaleen Bhaiya, in Mirzapur, said he feels a certain sense of responsibility while taking on real-life characters which is not the case when he plays fictional characters.
“It’s easy to play fictional characters because you can add as much imagination as possible into those parts. But you can’t do the same thing for real-life characters because you have to capture their thoughts and emotions through a journey that existed in reality. In 83, these people have actually gone through those experiences and we just recreated a small part of the history when we played them on screen,” Tripathi said.
Over the years, Tripathi has established himself as one of the most sought-after actors in the film industry and he has only the film fraternity and the Indian audience to thank for it. He said, “The entire film industry and the Indian audience have given me a lot of love and I feel extremely grateful for that. The industry hasn’t changed. New storytellers have come into the industry. The audience has accepted them and liked their stories. It’s a great sign because a lot of new and talented actors are getting better opportunities due to this. Actors like me have got busy.”
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