83 Trailer Talk: Throwback To A Historic World Cup Victory

Nine runs, four wickets. In what is a do-or-die match at a World Cup. If anyone looks at a cricket scorecard like that, they would feel that the team batting on field is doomed. That's what the common consensus was about a certain Team India, almost four decades ago. Up until a young, flamboyant, floppy-haired captain – merrily taking a bath in the shower till then – goes to the crease and saves the day. And historically speaking, that day was only the beginning.

Based on the Indian men's cricket team's historic World Cup win in 1983, the film stars Ranveer Singh as the former winning captain, Kapil Dev. The trailer of the film takes you back to a time India weren't the favourites, capturing their journey from a team that no one saw winning to the one that won it all – including the country's unwavering love. When Kapil Dev (Singh) sat in a press box, with just 3-4 journalists in tow, telling them he's here to win, they laughed. He made his words come true soon after, as the box buzzed with a packed audience – every journalist aspiring to cover their rise.

The 1983 World Cup was extremely significant for the Indian team in several ways. Not only was it a first for India, but it also marked the ultimate tale of underdog rising. The national team back then weren't the frontrunners in a game they are now synonymous with. Instead, they were a team that not many saw winning, especially against the powerful, two-time World Cup champions West Indies. And yet, they won – catapulting the popularity of ODIs in the country to uncharted heights overnight. In terms of sheer impact, what the 1983 World Cup did to ODIs was similar to what the 2007 World Cup meant to T20 cricket.

Co-written by director Kabir Khan, alongside Sanjay Puran Singh Chauhan, the film has been jointly produced by Khan, Vishnuvardhan Induri, Deepika Padukone and Sajid Nadiadwala. Starring an ensemble cast that includes Padukone, Tahir Raj Bhasin, Jiiva, Saqib Saleem, Harrdy Sandhu, Ammy Virk, Pankaj Tripathi and Boman Irani, among others, the film releases theatrically on December 24th.