We all know how crazy we Indians are after cricket, but this fandom has not evolved overnight the Indian cricket teams have struggled a lot to earn this respect and fandom.

What else can make a movie super hit, a good story, some great actors, and a depiction of a glorious historical event? 83 has all of them. Talking about the plot of the movie it is about the memorable achievement of the Indian cricket team led by former captain Kapil Dev winning the 1983 World Cup against two-times champion West Indies.

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The most notable thing that one could realise while watching the movie is that the movie is not Kapil Dev specific. It shows the contribution and significance of the Indian skipper but it does not only revolves around him. The movie showcases all the players and the team bond beautifully.

The movie builds contrast how the Indian team was treated prior to the world cup and after the World Cup. A team nobody believed could even win a single match proves everyone wrong and beat West Indies despite making an all-time low score in the finals.

The national sentiment in the movie can make anybody emotional. The movie is just not about winning the World Cup, it is an attempt to recreate the emergence of cricket fandom in the country. The spirit of sport has been shown many times in the movie which causes a warmth of pride and oneness (irrespective of religion).

At times, the movie creates nostalgia by showing the real pictures and videos of the 1983 world cup. In 2 hr 32 m, the movie has tried to exhibit every aspect related to the 83’ world cup. From the deteriorated national political situation of the country to the legacy approaching after the world cup, this movie has tried to show everything related to it.

Apart from the movie, the other things that are worth discussing are the perfect casting by Mukesh Chabra, amazing music by Pritam, and the performance of actor Ranveer Singh.

The cast of 83 is commendable not a single actor has disappointed the audience. Hardy Sandhu as Madan Lal, a well-known singer, has proved that he has an edge over acting and the audience can surely expect some more roles from his acting career. Ammy Virk as Balwinder Singh Sandhu, Jiiva as Srikant, Nishant Dahiya as Roger Binny, Saqib Saleem as Mohinder Amarnath, Jatin Sharma as Late Yashpal Sharma, Chirag Patil as Sandeep Patil, and so on, has justified their roles.

Coming to Pankaj Tripathi and his special appearances in big movies has been justified this time as well. The role of PR Man Singh could not have been best depicted if Pankaj would not casted. He and his simpleness for this role is remarkable. Other special appearances from the movie are that of Nina Gupta as the mother of Kapil Dev, and Boman Irani as Farokh Engineer (former Indian cricketer and match commentator in the film).

This time too, Ranveer Singh has amazed everyone with his versatile performance. He has proved he is an actor who can fit into any role perfectly and easily. The way he has copied and enacted Kapil Dev on the screen is praiseworthy. His actions, bowling style, batting style, the way he holds the bat make everyone find a glimpse of Kapil in him.

Now coming to the weak points of the movie, a movie cannot show everything perfectly in two and a half hours to the audience. However, 83’s weak points are nothing in front of the nostalgia and rush of national sentiment that the story causes. But to mention, the comedy in the movie at times doesn’t cause humour. The movie despite being a sports drama, and historical fiction, has a target specific audience. Those who do not have affection towards cricket cannot connect to the sentiment and glory the movie is depicting.

During the movie, one could clearly understand that failure is a part of a journey in every field. This reminds me of a statement Aamir Khan made in an interview with Virat Kohli that, “I don’t understand why do we have to discourage and criticise cricketers when they loose, it actually is a time when people should support and encourage them. We being fans of Indian team we should be with our team in its wins and losses.” A scene of a small kid from the movie shows the exact sentiment. A single gesture of support can inspire a lot.

The best part of the movie is the message it has for the people who are associated with the sports field. Recently, we saw many sportsperson committing suicide because they could not perform the way they wanted. The message of the film is as a sportsperson you must do what you can and leave the rest of the things on destiny. Even if you couldn’t make it large, you won’t have the guilt of not attempting. Respect is earned, and in sports, it is built through excessive hard work, dedication, and an attitude of acceptance for the failures that may come in the journey called life or sports.