Vishnu Vardhan Induri who first owned the rights for the film and Madhu Mantena, the co-producer in Phantom Films, formally met the Indian squad of 1983 during mid-July 2016, and its frontman Kapil Dev, where they signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) to make the official biopic.[9] In September 2017, Reliance Entertainment co-financed the project and officially announced the biopic with members of the winning team, with Singh and Khan brought on board.[10] Following an extensive casting and pre-production process, the film began principal photography on 5 June 2019, where it was majorly shot in and around England for three months and a brief schedule took place in India, before filming being wrapped up on 7 October.[11]
Originally scheduled for cinema release in April 2020, the film was pushed from its release date several times due to the casting and pre-production works that delayed filming, and also due to the COVID-19 pandemic in India, resulting in the film being delayed until December 2021.[12][13] It premiered at the Red Sea International Film Festival on 15 December and released worldwide on 24 December 2021 (Christmas Eve) in conventional 2D and 3D formats, distributed by PVR Pictures in Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam languages, apart from the original version. The film received widespread acclaim from critics and audiences alike, praising the performances of the cast, screenplay, direction and technical aspects. However, the film was unsuccessful at the Indian box office, although it became the highest grossing Hindi film of 2021 in overseas.[14]
The film begins with a black-and-white opening sequence of the 1983 Cricket World Cup Final on 25 June 1983 between India and West Indies. During the second innings when India is fielding, Madan Lal bowls toward Viv Richards who is on strike. Richards lofts the ball in the air for a six but results in getting caught out by Kapil Dev.
The film then shifts to 30 May 1983 at the BCCI office in Mumbai where the BCCI officials get an invitation to the Cricket World Cup. Sunil Gavaskar is dropped from captaincy and Kapil Dev is made the captain. The cricketers who are in the squad namely Dev, Mohinder Amarnath, Kirti Azad, Madan Lal, and Sunil Valson are already there in England playing County Cricket.
The team fails horribly during the four warm-up matches which leads to doubts being raised about the performance of the Indian team in the group stage of the World Cup itself. During the press conference, Dev confidently tells the reporters that his team is here to win. During a training session of the West Indies team, the Indian team witnesses their four deadly fast bowlers namely Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Malcolm Marshall, and Joel Garner who were known for delivering deadly bouncers to the batsmen. At the ceremony in Buckingham Palace, the Queen wishes the teams luck and the teams proceed for a group photograph. On the way back to their hotel on the bus, Dev gives an inspirational speech during the team meeting in accentuated English.
The World Cup starts with India being placed in Group B alongside the strong teams Australia and West Indies. Zimbabwe who turns out to be making their World Cup debut is also placed in the same group. India unexpectedly win their first match against West Indies by 34 runs at Old Trafford Cricket Ground with Yashpal Sharma being the Player of the Match for his contribution of 89 runs (which was also the highest individual score put up by an Indian cricketer at that time).
The teammates later celebrate at a bar that night. They also manage to win their next match against Zimbabwe by 5 wickets at Grace Road, Leicester thereby leading to the rise in the expectations of the Indian fans. Patil scores a half-century and Madan Lal is named as the Player of the Match.
However, the team becomes over-confident and loses their next match against Australia by a huge margin of 162 runs. Dev is disappointed with the team's performance, especially with Roger's performance, and Gavaskar is unable to play due to his leg injury.
With Gavaskar's absence, the following match with West Indies turns out to be a brutal one as in the first innings, Viv Richards thrashes out the Indian bowlers severely thereby making a score of 119 runs off 146 deliveries. The second innings seems to be more violent when Malcolm Marshall bowls deadly bouncers to the Indian batsmen and one of the bouncers hits Dilip Vengsarkar on his chin, injuring him. Mohinder Amarnath puts up a score of 80 runs by bravely facing the bouncers but India lose the match by 66 runs. This cricket match looked more like a bloody battlefield rather than a game of cricket.
The morale of the team is shattered. It is further shattered as Vengsarkar is ruled out from remaining World Cup matches due to his injury which resulted in seven stitches. The disheartened team in the bus is stuck on the route because of the West Indies crowd celebrating and blocking the way. However, they see a young Indian boy waving a homemade Indian flag which moves the team to tears and raises their spirits.
The next match against Zimbabwe on 18 June at Nevill Ground is a do-or-die one as India will be eliminated from the tournament if they lose. The wives of the cricketers also turn up to show their support as it is thought to be their last match. Gavaskar is back in the team recovering from his injury. India opens up with a shaky start, making 9 runs at the cost of 4 wickets. Dev steps in a hurry onto the field without the helmet as he was taking a shower. While walking to the pitch he sees the disheartened Indian crowd. He then starts scoring runs but the wickets keep falling. During the lunch break, Dev takes out the Mongoose bat which enables him to hit more powerful shots and gives a better counterattack to the bowlers. He then starts hitting boundaries continuously. Dev then makes a world record of 175 runs (which was previously 171 runs made by Glenn Turner in the 1975 World Cup) and is received with a standing ovation from the crowd and the umpire. India makes a score of 266 runs which Zimbabwe fail to achieve which leads to India winning the match by 31 runs and also retaining their place in the tournament. This is also the first time that any Indian has ever scored a century in an ODI match, with Kapil Dev being the first one.
A party is held by the High Commissioner in which all the team members show up except for Binny who does not turn up because he is disappointed by Dev constantly chiding him for his bowling performance during net practice. At the party, Srikkanth jokes around and humorously tells the crowd that Dev had gone mad because he told them that they would beat the West Indies which is the strongest team in the cricketing world, but then he says that he has faith in his captain and he would only go home with winning the World Cup.
The final Group Stage Match with Australia at County Ground, Chelmsford on 20 June is an easy win for India as they win by a huge margin of 118 runs with Binny being the Player of the Match for his contribution of taking 4 wickets, praises Captain. India qualifies for the semi-final and this creates a wave of excitement across the country as India managed to qualify for the semi-final for the first time. The Prime Minister Indira Gandhi orders her ministry to ensure that every town and village in the country gets a television service so that the semi-final match can be broadcast.
During the semi-final with England, the English batsmen score heavy runs in the beginning. Sandhu is not able to bowl properly as he is disappointed due to his engagement with his fiancée Simran being called off the day before the semi-final because of his living conditions and low salary. Amarnath and Kirti Azad choke off England's supply of runs by taking wickets. Azad takes the wicket of Ian Botham in which the ball surprisingly spins low towards the ground. England is restricted to a score of 213 all out. In the second inning Amarnath and Sharma build up runs for India, however, Amarnath is run out. During the partnership of Dev and Patil when 4 runs are needed to win, there is a premature invasion on the field by Indian fans. This causes the English captain Bob Willis to set his fielders on the left side so that they can escape if there is another invasion. Patil hits a four and India qualifies for the finals of the 1983 World Cup. Amarnath is named the Player of the Match.
This creates further excitement back in India as this win was seemed as unexpected one. On 25 June at Lords, India faces the West Indies again for the final with the latter winning the toss and choosing to bowl. In the beginning, Indian batsmen are restricted severely by the bowlers with Gavaskar getting dismissed for 2 runs, but Srikkanth aggressively scores 38 runs making him the highest scorer for the Indian team. However, the team is all out for 183 making it the lowest score in the World Cup final. Dev inspires his team to restrict the West Indies batsmen from scoring runs.
The team steps onto the field with a rousing reception in the common room. In the second inning, Sandhu takes the wicket of Gordon Greenidge which gives India a lead. However, Richards launches a barrage of boundaries especially when Madan Lal is bowling. Madan Lal asks Dev to let him bowl another over as Richards underestimates him and after much persuading, Dev gives him another over to bowl. He bowls to Richards and Richards lofts in the air for six (as shown in the opening sequence of the film) but is caught out by Dev. This proves to be the turning point of the match. With Richards dismissed, the wickets of West Indies fall rapidly with Amarnath taking 3 wickets. When West Indies are 9 wickets down, Amarnath bowls to Holding who's the last batsman. Holding misses it and the ball hits his pads. Amarnath and the whole team appeal for the dismissal and Holding is given out leading to India winning the World Cup. The squad rushes towards the dressing room and the jubilant crowd rushes over on the ground and celebrations begin back in India. A young Sachin Tendulkar back in Mumbai makes a promise that he would play for the Indian cricket team. Amarnath is named Player of the Match and Dev lifts the trophy along with the Indian team.
As the credits roll, the real Kapil Dev is shown sharing his experience of winning the World Cup along with a montage of vintage photographs of the team.
Duncan Fletcher the spectator with a beer glass in his hand when Kapil Dev takes a running catch of Amarnath’s bowling in India vs Zimbabwe match
Production
Origin
A film based on the 1983 Cricket World Cup and India's win at the tournament was first ideated by Vishnu Vardhan Induri the founder and managing director of Celebrity Cricket League in 2014 and he approached Kapil Dev with the Idea initially. In mid-July 2016,[32]Phantom Films — a joint production company owned by Madhu Mantena, featuring the collaborations of directors Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl and Vikramaditya Motwane also expressed their interest in co-producing the film, citing their passion for cricket.[33][34][35] 83 is touted to be the first venture of Vishnu Vardhan Induri's newly formed production house, Vibri Media.[34] The squad members of the 1983 team, along with former Indian cricketer Kapil Dev met the producers at a suburban hotel in Mumbai, discussing about the film.[32] In the process, the two production companies had signed a Memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the 1983 team to make an official biopic, where according to the norms, the producers will get to use the actual names of the players as well as use real incidents from their lives. In an official statement regarding the biopic, Dev stated that "the journey of the 1983 team is a story of inspiration which proves that one can achieve anything if they aim for it and work for it no matter what the world thinks".[34]
Development
Despite the official announcement, the makers were yet to finalise the cast and crew members and the director of the project. Rumours surfaced that Kabir Khan was going to direct the project with either Ranveer Singh, Arjun Kapoor or Sushant Singh Rajput playing the role of Kapil Dev.[36][37] When Khan was asked about his role in the biopic, he stated that "he was fascinated on the story of India's journey at the 1983 Cricket World Cup" but remained silent on the claims of directing the film.[38]Akshay Kumar was also rumoured to act in the film, which was later declined.[39] On 25 September 2017, Phantom Films announced that Singh would play the role of Kapil Dev,[40] and Kabir Khan too confirmed that he will direct the film.[41]
As a young schoolboy when I watched India win the 1983 Cricket World Cup. I had no idea that from that day onwards cricket in India will change forever. As a filmmaker, for me, the journey to that win, filled with raw energy and sheer passion of that young Indian team, is probably one of the most exciting stories I have worked on.
A launch event was hosted at JW Marriott Mumbai on 27 September 2017 by Reliance Entertainment and Vibri Media to announce the biopic officially under the title 83.[43][44] Singh and the entire former team that won the Cricket World Cup in 1983 were present at the event.[45] Speaking at the event, Khan said that the makers will begin pre-production and location scouting by late-November 2017, and has planned to shoot the film in real locations, in order to create authenticity and also "to give youngsters to celebrate the milestone in the history of Indian Cricket which happened when many were not even born".[43]
This film was considered to be one of the last productions of Phantom Films,[46] the other being Super 30 (2019) and Ghoomketu (2020). The company dissolved in October 2018 after its response to a sexual assault allegation on Bahl by a former women employee of the company,[47] and its collaborators later moved to work on independent projects.[47] Bahl was ousted from the project.[48] In May 2019, Sajid Nadiadwala joined the film as one of the co-producers.[49][50]
Casting
The casting and pre-production works were delayed extensively as Kabir Khan wanted "a cast that authenticates the 1983 Indian squad".[51] Initially, Vicky Kaushal was rumoured to play a prominent role in the film, but Kaushal denied Khan's offer due to his commitments in Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019).[52] Similarly, Allu Arjun and Vijay Deverakonda too were considered to play the role of Krishnamachari Srikkanth, both declining the offer.[53][54] Later, Tamil actor Jiiva was signed to reprise Srikkanth, marking his Hindi debut.[55] His inclusion was officially confirmed on late-January 2019.[56] On 23 January, Punjabi actor-singer Ammy Virk was signed to play the role of Balwinder Sandhu.[57] The makers further cast Tahir Raj Bhasin and ex-cricketer and singer Harrdy Sandhu, to play the roles of Sunil Gavaskar and Madan Lal respectively.[58][59]Chirag Patil, son of former cricketer and a member of 1983 Indian cricket squad, Sandeep Patil reprised his father's role for the film, thereby making his acting debut.[60][61]
Singh began preparing for the role during mid-August 2018, and learnt lessons from former professional cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.[77][78] Khan also joined the team at the Lord's Cricket Stadium in St John's Wood, London where he began pre-production works on the film.[77] He also trained under the guidance of Kapil Dev, to fit for his role in the film.[79] When the final cast being announced, former cricketer-politician Kirti Azad gave to Khan on how they enact the former cricketers on-screen. He further gave inputs on his former teammates nature and mannerisms. In March 2019, the team underwent practice sessions at Mumbai for 3 hours, starting from 7:00–10:00 AM, while Singh prepared for an extra hour.[80] The training sessions consisted of physical, skill training and establishing different styles.[80] A source from The Indian Express said that "Ranveer practiced for about 2 hours every alternate day with Balwinder Singh Sandhu. Post that, they discuss the mindset of the 1983 team during the tournament and dissect Kapil Dev's captaincy that Balwinder saw from close quarters."[81] Then, in April 2019, the cast trained at cricket with former cricketers Balwinder Sandhu and Yashpal Sharma, at a camp at Dharamshala Cricket Stadium for 10 days.[82] He was further trained with Kapil Dev at Delhi in May 2019, closer to the start of the film's shoot,[83] and also attended practice sessions at Lord's in June 2019.[84]
Filming
Khan announced that the filming would start in London and will be extensively shot there for three months, starting from May 2019.[85][86] The entire cast flew to London on 28 May to become part of the shooting schedule.[87]Principal photography began on 5 June at Glasgow, Scotland where filming took place for one week.[88][89] Padukone joined film team in Glasgow for her part of shooting.[90] On 25 June 2019, celebrating the anniversary of India's win at the 1983 Cricket World Cup, Khan stated about the shooting of the climax scene, which was the finals, saying that, the shooting will begin after 2019 Cricket World Cup tournament (14 July 2019).[91][92] Filming also took place at the Nevill Ground, Royal Tunbridge Wells.[93] On 4 July, Pankaj Tripathi stated that he wrapped the shooting of the film.[94]
On 17 July, post the 2019 World Cup Final, the team began preparation for shooting for the climax scene with Chirag Patil, sharing behind-the-scenes video from the practice sessions.[95] The team went to Lord's stadium in late-August to shoot the climax scene for five days, and after its completion, the team wrapped the three-month filming schedule in London on 1 September 2019.[96][97] The team returned to India, to shoot few sequences for the film at Mumbai.[98] On 10 September 2019, the team kickstarted the second and final schedule of the film.[99][100] Padukone finished her portion of shooting in mid-September.[101][102] The filming was completed on 7 October 2019.[103]
The film's soundtrack is composed by Pritam, who worked with Kabir Khan's previous films including New York (2009), Bajrangi Bhaijaan, Phantom (2015) and Tubelight (2017).[104][105] The film score is composed by Julius Packiam. Pritam began composing for the film's soundtrack during mid-2019, and complete within mid-2021.[106][107] The original soundtrack featured 14 compositions, with six original tunes, five alternatives and three instrumentals. Lyrics for the songs are written by Kausar Munir, Jaideep Sahni, Prashant Ingole and Ashish Pandit, and vocals were provided by Arijit Singh, Benny Dayal, Tushar Joshi, Krishnakumar Kunnath, Amit Mishra, Papon and Raghav Chaitanya. The songs — "Lehra Do" and "Bigadne Do" — were released as lead singles from the album on 6 and 13 December 2021 respectively.[108][109] The full soundtrack album was released on 23 December by Zee Music Company label, a day prior to the film's release.[110]
Marketing
Prior to the shooting of the film, in October 2017, Singh, Khan and Phantom Films signed a contract with Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH), a British-based creative agency, for bring branded entertainment and strategic partnerships.[111] On 6 July 2019, coinciding Singh's birthday, he released a still from the film, featuring him transforming as Kapil Dev.[112] His look received praise from fans and celebrities alike.[113] On 10 January 2020, the promotions for the film kickstarted with the first title logo being launched.[114][115] The character posters from the film were launched starting from 11 January.[115] On 25 January 2020, the cast and crew members along with the former 1983 Indian cricket team attended a special event held at Sathyam Cinemas, Chennai to launch the first look from the film,[116] with Kamal Haasan as the chief guest.[117] The official trailer of the film released on 30 November 2021, which coincided with the launch event in Mumbai.[118] The trailer was attached with the prints of Tadap.[119]
The makers collaborated with several brands to promote the film including, Mobil,[120]Aqua Pura Mountain Water, Fevicol, Carrera Eyewear, Tide, KromaColor, Nestlé, Rupa Company, Finolex and Toothsi.[121] A source from Reliance Entertainment, stated that "83 is one of the major films that has roped in multiple brands, in the post-pandemic era. We have roped in close to 35 brands for the perimeter branding, in-film associations, and out-of-film placement. These brand tie-ups are a good strategy for us to garner more media and also it helps the film to reach more audiences and territories."[121] It has been reported that the cost of out-of-film and in-film branding is estimated to be ₹20 lakh (US$23,000) to ₹1 crore (US$120,000).[121] Even before the theatrical release, in March 2021, Singh and Kabir Khan, in collaboration with Indian tennis sportsperson, Mahesh Bhupathi launched a merchandise brand based on the film named as 83 Believe. The brand is reportedly valued around ₹20 crore (US$2.3 million), becoming the widest consumer product range launched by any film-based property in India.[122]
The film's team launched stills and trailer of the film at Burj Khalifa in Dubai, as a part of the promotions.[123][124] On 23 December, the team further launched collectibles based on the film through non-fungible tokens (NFT) — which includes autographed physical cricket memorabilia, video scenes, animated digital avatars, and unseen posters and images from the film. The film's producers partnered with NFT Labs, and Social Swag, an influencer-led fan engagement platform for the launch of NFTs.[125][126] Prithviraj Sukumaran, the distributor of the film's Malayalam version promoted the film, by enacting as an interviewer to Ranveer Singh, sharing his experiences about the film.[127] Sudeep further announced that the glimpse of his film, Vikrant Rona will be attached to the prints of 83, where the film's Kannada version will be screened across 500 cinema theatres in Karnataka.[128]Amul India released a doodle based on the film, as a part of the promotions.[129]
Release
Theatrical
In November 2017, Reliance Entertainment announced that the film would be theatrically released on 5 April 2019.[130] However, due to the extensive pre-production works which further delaying the film's shooting process, the makers postponed the release to 30 August,[131][132] and to 10 April 2020.[133] Following the closure of theatres in mid-March 2020, in order to control the COVID-19 pandemic in India,[134] the film's release was withheld.[135][136] On late-June 2020, trade analyst Taran Adarsh reported that 83 will release on the occasion of Christmas (25 December 2020).[137][138] Shibashish Sarkar, executive producer and CEO of Reliance Entertainment, reinstated the plans of theatrical release despite rumours of a direct-streaming release,[139] while Kabir Khan also said that "the film has been envisioned and made to be experienced on the big screen and we are ready to wait for things to get normal and then release it in cinemas".[140]
However, in November 2020, Reliance Entertainment announced that the release had been postponed to the first quarter of 2021 (January–March), due to the worst occupancy report of audience towards theatres due to continuity of the pandemic. Also, the lack of time to plan a promotional campaign and shutting down of international markets were attributed as the factors for the delay.[141] In mid-February 2021, following the government's permission to have a 100% seating occupancy in theatres, the producers planned for theatrical release on 4 June 2021.[142] But, in late-May 2021, the film was postponed indefinitely, due to the closure of theatres in Maharashtra in concern over the Delta variant of COVID-19.[13] In September 2021, after the Maharashtra government permitted to resume theatrical-based operations by 22 October 2021, the film was planned for a release on 24 December 2021, which coincided with Christmas Eve.[143][144] Its release semi-clashed with that of the Hollywood film The Matrix Resurrections (2021), which released across the world, two days earlier.[145]
83 was released in over an estimated 4,000–5,000 screens across the world, which is considered to be the "biggest release in India in the post-pandemic era", according to trade analysts Taran Adarsh and Girish Johar.[156][157] It was released in 2D and 3D formats.[157] The makers planned to release the film in IMAX formats in order to give "a larger-than-life experience for a sports film".[158] However, the plan was dropped after the IMAX officials in North America declined their approval, in concern of the Hollywood big-budget releases such as Spider-Man: No Way Home and The Matrix Resurrections; the management did not encourage the release of too many IMAX films in the same period.[159]
The film released in over 3,741 screens across India, with the Hindi version being played 3,374 screens at 1,727 theatres. The dubbed versions of the film were released over 367 screens in India, with the Telugu version played on 137 screens, Tamil version on 184 screens, Malayalam version on 13 screens and the Kannada version on 33 screens.[156] The film was screened in over 1,512 screens in 80 countries, which is considered to be the "widest opening in overseas centres".[156] The film was screened at 44 theatres in Saudi Arabia, thereby being the biggest release in that country.[160] It was the first Indian film to be released in Cambodia.[161][162] It was also screened at the PictureTime Digiplex mobile theatre in Ladakh, which is located at the highest attitude of 11,562 feet (3,524 metres).[163][164] On the day of the opening release, Gaiety Galaxy and Maratha Mandir theatre removed the screening of the film due to revenue-sharing issues, with the distributor.[165]
Controversies
Prior to the film's theatrical premiere, a UAE-based finance company, Future Resource FZE, has sought issuance of process against the producers on grounds of alleged conspiracy and cheating.[166][167] The company further approached the Andheri Metropolitan Magistrate Court in Mumbai to issue a complaint regarding the same. They claimed that the makers of 83 had allegedly committed offences under Sections 405, 406 (criminal breach of trust), 415, 418, 420 (cheating) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code.[166] The spokesperson of one of the producers, Vishnu Induri had issued a statement regarding the same and said: "In the wake of the ongoing reports of a legal case filed against the makers of the upcoming film 83, on behalf of Vibri Media, we would like to deny the claims of the complainant and clarify the makers of 83 are in no way concerned with the case. The complaint of Future Resources FZE against the producers of the film 83 is false, baseless and motivated."[168] A scene in which the Pakistan Army stopped border firing to let the Indian Army listen to the score of the final match, received criticism from fans, whom accused Khan for his propaganda towards Pakistan,[169] though Singh claimed that the scene is "one of the special moments that Pakistanis would love" in his interview to the journalists in Dubai.[169]
The streaming rights were purchased by Netflix and Disney+ Hotstar,[179] and Star India network acquired the broadcasting rights for the film in all languages.[179] The producers announced that the film will be streamed on the digital platforms only after eight weeks of its theatrical run.[180][181] But, it was later called off as the production team decided to broadcast the film first over streaming release in order to connect with the "nostalgic factor of an entire generation – an audience group which primarily is found on the medium of television".[182][183] As a result, the film was premiered first on Star Gold on 20 March 2022,[184][185] and later released through digital platforms, the following day.[186]
Reception
Critical response
Ranveer Singh received acclaim from critics for his portrayal of Kapil Dev in the film, while Kabir Khan was praised for his direction.
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 80% of 15 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.6/10.[187][188]83 received critical acclaim.[189][190]Taran Adarsh from Bollywood Hungama gave 4 stars (out of 5), saying that "83 is a winner on pitch and on-screen too". He further wrote "Those who witnessed the victory would be glad to relive the experience, while those who didn't, will get a chance to witness how things unfolded during one of the greatest episodes of Indian sports history".[191] Rachana Dubey of The Times of India too gave four out of five stars, stating that "You realise this film is not about winning on a world stage, it's about earning respect and director Kabir Khan does set a high benchmark for himself, once again". She also praised Ranveer Singh's performance for enacting Kapil Dev, and further concluded "83 does play on the nationalism rhetoric, way more than was required. At the surface, '83' is about an underdog team's win. As you go deeper, with each actor effortlessly presenting himself as an iconic cricketer from the 1983 team, you tend to feel that this picture has been crafted with a skillfully written narrative, supported by nuanced and internalised performances, and each department lending its technical brilliance to it."[192] Anuj Kumar of The Hindu reviewed that "The film not only captures the emotional heft of the success story of the underdogs, but also delivers a well-researched document in the popular idiom".[193]
Pooja Biraia Jaiswal of The Week gave four-and-a-half out of five stars saying "The film is a compelling watch and you don't want to miss a single frame as every minute is accounted for". She added, "The profound feeling of a nation's victory; an underdog's unimaginable success and the emotional high of achieving the world's greatest title is something that the film has managed to bring out", further praising Singh's performance and Khan's direction.[194]Shubhra Gupta of The Indian Express gave three-and-a-half out of five, stating "Kabir Khan's '83 recreates the day of 1983 Cricket World Cup Final with fidelity, and, yes, let it be said, in full Bollywood style, suffused with song, dance, drama, colour. It pads the film with a few (fictional) elements meant strictly to play to the gallery, and it skates dangerously close to pandering to the overbearing nationalistic sentiments playing out in today's India."[195] Monika Rawal Kukreja of Hindustan Times wrote that "Making a film based on such a historic milestone was quite a risky proposition for director Kabir Khan because you can't afford to go wrong with facts here. But the minute details and nuances in the story that he highlights in the film makes you believe in his research and dedication towards the project [...] At several places, 83 gets high on nationalism, which couldn't been easily avoided. But that's something one kind of overlooks for the pride and joy you experience on seeing the team lift that trophy. If you needed a reason to walk into a theatre, 83 is that film which calls for a big screen experience."[196]
Arnab Banerjee of Outlook gave four out of five, writing that "The film is a breezy entertainer fast-forwarded with deft editing and unemotional tracks."[197]Anna M. M. Vetticad of Firstpost gave three-and-a-half out of five saying "83 is a stirring reminder of a time when pride in a national team's achievement united India and national pride had not yet been weaponised by the mob [...] It works nevertheless because it is a celebration, it understands the difference between opponents and enemies, and because of its cast. Each one not only looks like an actual player on the sporting field, but they imbue their respective characters with a believability that is particularly noteworthy because acted scenes are interspersed in places with actual matches yet the difference between the real cricketers and the actors playing them is not jarring."[198]Saibal Chatterjee in his review for NDTV, gave four stars and stated that "83 comes pretty close to achieving the impossible. No mean feat that. The film and its principal star go for broke and, as one feeds off the other, the result is an absolute cracker."[199] Uday Bhatia of Mint stated "Kabir Khan's film underlines everything but gets cricket right, is overwrought but joyful".[200]
Sneha Behangani of CNBC TV18 stated "83 also plays masterfully with nostalgia and trivia. Khan ensures that he treats cricket lovers to little surprises (including but not limited to guest appurtenances and real footage) strewn carefully throughout the film."[201] Stutee Ghosh of The Quint gave four out of five, stating "83 is a competently made ode to the game of cricket and the team that made all Indians feel like champions.[202] In its review for The Guardian, Phil Hoad gave four out of five and said "83 doesn't delve any further than that into what degree sporting victory ever translates to social and political progress. But it is an endearing sports film with just enough awareness of where it stands, now that Britain's imperial legacy is being questioned more than ever, on a larger field."[203] Nandini Ramanath of Scroll.in said "Khan's fan tribute to a can-do and did-do spirit revivifies the black-and-white photographs, grainy footage and memories embedded in the memories of generations of Indians [...] Ranveer Singh's Kapil Dev is the man of this series for all practical purposes. Singh deftly underplays the heroics and coolly leads the ensemble cast out of the doghouse and into the big league."[204]Sukanya Verma of Rediff.com gave 4 stars (out of 5) saying "Kabir Khan's '83 is an ode to a game changing chapter of Indian cricket history, pitch-perfect partnerships between openers and tail enders, knowing your mate's strengths as well as your own, the everlasting tradition of superstitions and sledging and seizing that one moment that defines the rest of your life."[205] A critic from BBC wrote "Kabir Khan relies on well-known anecdotes to build a narrative. The film is loaded with clichés and the signature touches of his earlier films. But such is the sweet flavour of that singular victory, so thrilling the drama, that it shouldn't fail to gratify the viewer."[206]
The members of the 1983 squad, Sunil Gavaskar, Ravi Shastri and Madan Lal praised the team after watching the premiere of the film. Gavaskar said that "It is simply brilliant and the way every actor has got the mannerisms, the walk, the look, the style of every player was unbelievably uncanny. Full marks to Kabir Khan and his team for their efforts."[207] While Shastri said that "I was left teary-eyed while watching the movie, not because I was part of the team that won it. I really had tears in my eyes when the film got over, because it brought back so many memories" and appreciated Kabir Khan for the direction.[208] Madan Lal stated "83 a must-watch, on the big screen".[208] Several publications listed 83 as one of the best Bollywood films of 2021, which includes: The Indian Express (Shubhra Gupta and Minnasa Shekhar),[209][210]Film Companion (Anupama Chopra),[211]Hindustan Times (Devarsi Ghosh),[212]The Hindu (Anuj Kumar),[213]India Today (Anandita Mukherjee)[214] and Firstpost (Subhash K. Jha).[215]
Box office
According to Box Office India, the film is the second-highest grossing Hindi opener of 2021, collecting about ₹12.64 crore (US$1.5 million),[216] the first being Sooryavanshi, which collected ₹26.29 crore (US$3.1 million).[217] By the second day of the release, the film had earned ₹25.73 crore (US$3.0 million),[218] and had earned about ₹30.91 crore (US$3.6 million) in the third day of its release, thereby earning about ₹83 crore (US$9.7 million) in the opening weekend.[219] Its collections, however saw a downward trend after first three days of its release, due to the heavy competition with Pushpa: The Rise and Spider-Man: No Way Home, the rise of COVID-19 cases due to the Omicron variant, and the sudden restrictions imposed by the state governments, which included night curfew in Maharashtra and the closure of theatres in Delhi from 28 December 2021, as per the orders of Delhi government to control the pandemic.[220] This had impacted the collections of the film, as these territories significantly contribute to the Hindi film box office.[221] Experts further analysed that the postponement of other films which included Jersey, RRR, Radhe Shyam and Samrat Prithviraj, is a minimal hope for the film, so that the film might have a good run at the box-office.[222][223]
The film crossed the 100-crore mark on the sixth day of its release, earning about ₹106.03 crore (US$12 million) by 29 December 2021.[224] By the first week, the worldwide box-office collection is estimated to be around ₹135 crore (US$16 million).[225] Within ten days of its release, the film managed to earn around ₹146.54 crore (US$17 million).[226] It was considered to be a box-office disappointment considering the higher production costs involved. As of 10 March 2022[update], the film grossed ₹129.79 crore in India and ₹63.94 crore overseas, for a worldwide gross collection of ₹193.73 crore.[6]
Pre sale records
The advance bookings of the film began on 19 December 2021, five days prior to the release.[227] Despite a middling response, national multiplex chains reported that the film sold nearly 1 lakh tickets with a gross of ₹3.5 crore (US$410,000).[227]PVR reported that 46,000 tickets have sold for the opening day, while INOX and Cinépolis had sold 54,000 tickets.[228] The film's cumulative advance ticket sales were reportedly less than that of Gully Boy (2019) which sold 2.12 lakh tickets in advance for the first day of the release.[227] Trade analysts Taran Adarsh and Girish Johar predicted that "the film's opening day collections will be in the range of ₹12–15 crore (US$1.6–2.0 million), if the film gets positive word-of-mouth".[229][228] They also opined that "The success of Pushpa: The Rise and Spider-Man: No Way Home released in theatres, a week prior, also followed by the threat of Omicron variant, and the occupancy restrictions prevailing in Maharashtra, might affect the collections. However, the film has generated positive buzz among the audience, with its trailer and people will come to watch the film, if it is worth their while."[230]
Film critic and trade journalist Komal Nahta, stated about the early predictions of the opening day box-office.[230] He watched the screening of the film in Mumbai and reviewed that "83 has everything that the audience wants in a film — there's the thrill, excitement, fun, light drama, melodrama and emotions and to top it all, there are a lot of things of patriotism. The feeling for the motherland is so high that your chest swells with pride. The whole thrill of the game, feeling of patriotism, and Ranveer's Singh's performance are the major aspects that would translate into great box office numbers."[230] In Mumbai and Bangalore, the film generated 40–45% occupancy on the opening day, while in Hyderabad, more than 50% shows were booked for the film.[231] More than 20–25% shows were booked in advance in the Delhi–NCR regions, whereas about 30–35% shows were booked in Chennai and Pune.[231] The film had an average 10–15% occupancy reported in Chandigarh, and 10% in Kolkata, while, it had a poor advance booking sale in Ahmedabad, with occupancy ranging from 8–10%.[231]
India
In its opening day, the film earned ₹12.64 crore (US$1.5 million) at the box-office,[216][a] while trade analyst Taran Adarsh of Bollywood Hungama had estimated that it collected ₹15.25 crore (US$1.8 million).[234] The film had an excellent opening at metropolitan cities including Delhi and Mumbai, with a strong hold in multiplexes, but saw a below average performance in single screens.[233] The dubbed versions of the film (Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada) had collected ₹1.5 crore (US$180,000) approximately.[234] On the second day of its release (25 December 2021), the film saw an increase of 30% compared to the first-day collection (owing to the Christmas holidays), as the film had earned ₹16 crore (US$1.9 million) worldwide. The two-day collections were reported to be around ₹29.59 crore (US$3.5 million),[235][236] It further saw an increase on the third day (26 December), where the film had earned ₹17.41 crore (US$2.0 million). The collections in the first weekend were reported to be around ₹47 crore (US$5.5 million).[237] The Tamil-dubbed version of the film had earned about ₹3 crore (US$350,000) in the opening weekend at Tamil Nadu.[238]
The film saw a 40% drop, on the fourth day of its release (27 December), where it had collected ₹7.29 crore (US$850,000).[239][240] It collections saw further decline after it earned ₹6.70 crore (US$780,000) on the fifth day.[241][242]The Times of India reported that the film performed well at the Mumbai and Pune theatres in the opening week, but Gujarat and Saurashtra circuit barely contributed to the film's collections.[241] By the first week of its release, the film had earned ₹71.87 crore (US$8.4 million) net collection at the domestic box-office,[243] and a gross of ₹86.50 crore (US$10 million).[244]
By entering the second week (31 December 2021), the film had collected ₹4.36 crore (US$510,000).[245] However, on New Year's Day (1 January 2022), the film picked-up pace and had earned ₹7.73 crore (US$900,000) at the box-office,[246] and on the eleventh day, the film collected about ₹7.31 crore (US$860,000).[247][248] However, it slowed down on the third Monday, where it had collected around ₹2.01 crore (US$240,000).[249] The dubbed versions of the film had accounted to ₹5.04 crore (US$590,000) until the second week of its release. The Telugu version earned about ₹1.1 crore (US$130,000) and the Tamil-dubbed version had collected ₹2.63 crore (US$310,000), and the Kannada and Malayalam versions earned ₹71 lakh (US$83,000) and ₹60 lakh (US$70,000) respectively.[250] By the sixteenth-day of its release, the film collected about ₹100 crore (US$12 million) net collection in India, with a gross of ₹120.48 crore (US$14 million).[251]
Other territories
On the overseas circuits, the film earned about US$1.57 million (₹11.79 crore), in the first day of its release.[252] It surpassed the opening day collections of Sooryavanshi, which earned US$1.08 million (₹8.02 crore).[253] The film also earned US$391,651 United Arab Emirates and US$90,843 from G.C.C territories, thereby collecting AED 1.77 million (US$482,494) from the regions.[254] In the second day of its release, the film had collected US$1.01 million (₹7.6 crore),[252] whereas in the third day, the film had collected US$900,000 (₹6.72 crore).[255] By the fourth day of its release, the film collected US$680,000 (₹5.07 crore), totalling its estimated revenue about US$4.17 million (₹31.14 crore).[255] It was considered to be the Singh's seventh highest-grosser at opening weekend in the overseas box-office, behind Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela (2013), Dil Dhadakne Do, Bajirao Mastani (2015), Padmaavat, Simmba (2018) and Gully Boy (2019).[256] It further grossed AED 3.46 million (US$941,983) in UAE and GCC.[257]
By the end of the first week, the film earned around US$5.8 million (₹43 crore) and surpassed the opening week collections of Sooryavanshi at the overseas centres.[258] In United States, the film earned around US$3,502,876 (₹26.01 crore), and at United Kingdom, the film had collected £445,160 (US$44.9 million).[258] In the UAE and GCC territories, the film had collected AED 5.29 million (US$1,440,200).[259] The film had collected about US$8,333 in Spain, NZD$229,103 (US$155,389.07) across New Zealand, MR 11,781 (US$2,799) in Malaysia, €52192 (US$59,295.33) in Germany, A$1,208,667 (US$868,112) in Australia.[260] At the North American box-office, the film outperformed several Hollywood films including The Matrix Resurrections, The King's Man, West Side Story and American Dog.[226] It was ranked in one among the top 10 films at the Australia, New Zealand and United Kingdom box office.[226] Closer to the second weekend, the film had earned US$7.15 million (₹53.17 crore).[261] The film eventually became one the highest-grossing Indian film of 2021 in overseas circuits with an adjusted collection of ₹62.54 crore (US$7.3 million) within 31 days.[262][263]
Commercial analysis
In its article about Bollywood Hungama, Fenil Seta stated about the significant reasons, that led to its box-office decline, with problems regarding the technical aspects, casting and the storyline which did not connect with the youngsters apart from the aforementioned factors.[220][221] Trade analyst Komal Nahta too considered that "One whole chunk of the audience — the 15 to 35 age group — didn't see the film. You can't ignore them if you make a film on such a huge budget. But, the youth doesn't believe in the past, and are not interested in historical facts. Their cricketing heroes are MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. They couldn't identify with Kapil Dev and his team. 83 did not have much for the youth [...] If the film had a personalised and emotional storyline about the characters, it would have been successful in drawing the youth, like Sushant Singh Rajput's M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story managed to do."[264]Taran Adarsh also stated that "83 gives a feeling of a docu-drama. People who are looking for a masala entertainer will not find it there. Of course, looking at the subject, you can't have an item song or commercial ingredients, but that is one of the deterrents. But there are certain films that go down in history as wonderful ones, which might not have worked when they had been released."[264] Analysts further believed that, the film was targeted towards the older audiences (the 35 to 50 age group), who were likely reluctant to go theatres, particularly with the rise in the Omicron variant, citing as the reason for the film's underpeformance.[265]
According to Box Office India, the film sold less than 38 lakh tickets in the first week of its release, marginally lower than that of Shah Rukh Khan's Zero (2018), which sold 69 lakh tickets.[266] Trade analysts reported that the film almost incurred a loss of ₹80 crore (US$9.4 million) to the makers, surpassing Bombay Velvet (2015), which incurred a ₹70 crore loss.[267]Bollywood Hungama reported that the film's production costs were about ₹195 crore (US$23 million) with an additional ₹15 crore (US$1.8 million) being added for print and advertising costs, with interests due to delayed release being increased to ₹30 crore (US$3.5 million).[268] While the overall expenditures were amounted to be ₹240 crore (US$28 million), the distributors' share from both domestic and overseas theatrical were reported to be about ₹53.87 crore (US$6.3 million) and ₹28.77 crore (US$3.4 million). It further recovered ₹105 crore (US$12 million) from non-theatrical revenues which includes satellite and digital rights for Hindi and regional languages and music rights.[268] The production team received a subsidy of ₹30 crore (US$3.5 million) for shooting the film majorly in the United Kingdom.[268] However, the total recovery was estimated to be ₹217.64 crore (US$25 million) from theatrical and non-theatrical revenue, resulting in a loss of ₹22.35 crore (US$2.6 million) to Reliance Entertainment with a negative 9.32% rate of ROI.[268]
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