Kapil Dev reveals Ranveer Singh's punishing work for 83'

Both cricket and cine fans are anxiously awaiting the release of the movie 83'. This Ranveer Singh-starrer Bollywood flick will recreate the Indian cricket team's historic triumph in the 1983 World Cup. As one would expect, the movie's hard-working lead actor – Ranveer – tasked with the responsibility of essaying the role of Kapil Dev, is trying his best to get under the skin of his character.

The hard work being put in by Ranveer has been revealed to the general public by none other than the great man he is playing on screen – Kapil Dev. In an interview with a newspaper, the former Indian captain talked about the dedication that the famous thespian has for his job.

"I'd see him (Ranveer) work so hard on bowling, he'd bowl and play for eight hours constantly to understand the rhythm, and would do so in the peak of summer. In such conditions, even cricketers avoid training to prevent injuries. So, I feared for his fitness. Ranveer told me that he wanted to be with me.

"I don't know what he was trying to study, my actions, my manner of talking or pronunciation. During the 10-day stay he was dieting because he had to lose weight. He was also practising with me during that time," Kapil Dev said.

While Ranveer will try to bring the cinematic version of arguably the greatest Indian cricketer of all time to life, his wife, another famous Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone, has taken up the mantle of portraying Kapil Dev's wife Romi Bhatia.

The movie is being produced by Reliance Entertainment and other prominent names in the cine business like Kabir Khan, Madhu Mantena, Deepika herself and Sajid Nadiadwala. Kabir Khan is directing the movie.

Large cast

The first poster of the film that was released last year showed Ranveer Singh and a cricket ball in front of him – a recreation of an iconic photograph of the legendary all-rounder. Later, another still from the movie showed Ranveer playing Kapil Dev's famous 'Natraj' shot.

Apart from Ranveer and Deepika, other prominent actors in the movie are Pankaj Tripathi as PR Man Singh, manager of the team; Boman Irani as Farokh Engineer; Harrdy Sandhu as Madan Lal; Tahir Raj Bhasin as Sunil Gavaskar; Sahil Khattar as Syed Kirmani; Adinath Kothare as Dilip Vengasarkar; and Jiiva as Krishnamachari Srikanth.

The movie is slated to release on April 10, 2020. This is one of the most keenly-anticipated films of the year and is likely to be a hit. With the entire team that played in the World Cup backing the project and the likes of Kapil Dev lending a helping hand to the project, it promises to be an exciting venture.