Ranveer Singh was Kabir Khan’s first choice for ’83’

It’s confirmed that Ranveer Singh will be playing cricketer Kapil Dev for the upcoming ’83’, being directed by Kabir Khan. The filmmaker has revealed that he would not have chosen anyone but Singh for the role.

“I always saw Kapil in him. I knew that if among the younger stars, I had to choose someone to play Kapil, it was Ranveer because he has that robustness, the physicality, the energy, which if properly channelised will reflect the energy that a 24-year-old Kapil had. We also have to realise that we know Kapil today for what he is but we have to show what he was then- the fiery Kapil that was in 1983, with that burning ambition and determination to win the world cup. Everyone said that he was the only who believed (in the team’s victory) and kept saying, ‘No. We are not here to party, we are here to win,’ and how he led from the front. I see the same hunger in Ranveer, “said Khan, in an interview with Indian Express.

When asked whether he had thought about how hard Singh would have to work to get the character of Dev right, Khan replied, “No. Ranveer is an actor. Ranveer Singh, the individual, is different from Ranveer Singh, who will be on screen as Kapil Dev. He will do on screen, what is required of him to become Kapil Dev. That’s why he is a performer. The same Ranveer, who is jumping all over the place, has also given us a Bajirao Mastani portrayal, which was quite controlled and restrained. Every performer, at the end of the day, just gets into the skin of the character and portray it, close to what it should be. I think Ranveer has that ability.”

The film is the story of India’s first cricket World Cup win in 1983.