Ranveer Singh to Play Kapil Dev in Kabir Khan's Film on India 1983 World Cup Victory

Actor Ranveer Singh hasn’t just earned huge popularity for the confidence he has shown in opting for the most unusual, at times even loud fashion choices. His acting prowess – which is quite evident from the roles that he has done so far – has also made him one of the most versatile actors in Bollywood.

Often lauded for his natural style of acting, Ranveer is the latest celebrity – after Farhan Akhtar, Aamir Khan, Priyanka Chopra – to be roped in for a sports drama. Yes, the actor, who was last seen in Befikre, has given his nod to play cricket legend Kapil Dev in an upcoming biopic based on 1983 World Cup.

To be directed by Kabir Khan, the film will recreate the most memorable moment of the Indian cricket history that gave the country its first world cup trophy. For the unversed, India won the 1983 Cricket World Cup against the West Indies.

Trade analyst Taran Adarsh took to his official Twitter handle on Monday to break the news. "#BreakingNews: Ranveer Singh will turn cricketer #KapilDev in Kabir Khan's sports-based film... #1983 #WorldCup," he tweeted.

The project is also significant because it marks the first collaboration between Ranveer and Kabir.

The movie will reportedly be backed by Phantom films, co-owned by filmmakers Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl, Vikramaditya Motwane and Madhu Mantena.

With what is being touted as the "biggest sports film", Kabir is venturing into fairly new genre, whose credits include political-drama-thrillers like New York, Bajrangi Bhaijaan.

Filmmaker Kabir’s last directorial Tubelight, which featured Salman and Sohail Khan, failed to set the cash registers ringing at the box office. Apart from this, the filmmaker is also set to helm a web series based on freedom fighter Subhas Chandra Bose's Indian National Army for Amazon Prime Video.

This will be the second time when Ranveer will essay the role of a real life character after playing Maratha Empire Peshwa Bajirao in Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Bajirao Mastani.

The actor is currently gearing up for the release of his much-anticipated film with Bhansali, titled Padmavati, which also stars Deepika Padukone, Shahid Kapoor and Aditi Rao Hydari.