83 is the best kind of nostalgia for those who witnessed the year and for others, it is the best reminiscence of a cricket match. This historic event is literally brought live by Ranveer Singh, everyone in the ensemble & the sheer talent of Kabir Khan. It is the exact ‘Big Screen’ watch you could have asked for.

Directed by Kabir Khan of New York, Bajrangi Bhaijaan, and Ek Tha Tiger fame, 83 is the reminiscence of the historic 1983 Cricket World Cup where India registered its first ever win.

The 83 team was captained by Kapil Dev. This film has Ranveer Singh as the protagonist playing Kapil Dev’s character. However, it isn’t the skipper’s bio-pic as commonly mistaken. Ranveer Singh’s 83 movie is all about celebrating 1983. What went into achieving the victory, the lesser-known facts, and a lot of matches, replicated frame by frame.

Ranveer Singh aces the role with accuracy and ease. His face, accent, postures…everything has been perfectly matched to Kapil Dev. He tricks you into believing that he is Kapil Dev and that’s where his victory lies. The film has a fantastic ensemble with a lot of popular names playing the roles of other players. Ammy Virk, Harrdy Sandhu, Tahir Raj Bahsin, Jiiva amongst the others perform exceedingly well. The film also stars Pankaj Tripathi who plays the role of the manager of the team, Man Singh. He nails the Hyderabadi accent and is such a delight to watch. Deepika Padukone, who is also credited as the producer of the film appears for a short stint in the second half and adds only better. Similarly, Boman Irani plays the commentator’s role having less time on screen and more in voice-over as a narrator. Studded with stars, isn’t it?

The film doesn’t dive deep into anyone’s back-story nor does it layer any characters. It doesn’t even put a single minute into showing any preparation for the world cup and gets straight to London.  Almost 80% of the film’s run time goes into replicating matches which gets too monotonous at times and also seem dragged. However, the blend of comedy in some proportions along with perfect acting makes it manageable. The technical accuracy with which the sport is shown is commendable.

On the whole, if you are someone who has seen the World Cup in 1983, this film will be greatly nostalgic and will bring back a lot of memories of what you as a cricket fan had seen. For everyone else and especially the cricket lovers, this film will be highly entertaining and a great watch. If you are looking for a perfect ‘Big Screen’ watch, you should opt to watch this in 3D to enjoy it more.

Watch the trailer here: