Ranveer Singh has unveiled the look of Pankaj Tripathi in Kabir Khan’s sports drama 83. Pankaj plays PR Man Singh, the manager of the Indian cricket team led by Kapil Dev, which won the 1983 World Cup.

“THE CHIEF !!! His tireless devotion led Kapil’s Devils to the ultimate glory! The Backbone of Team India. The best ‘Man’ Manager of all ! Presenting @pankajtripathi as PR MAN SINGH ! #ThisIs83,” Ranveer wrote.

 

Ranveer has been sharing the character posters of 83 on social media, one day at a time. The actor, who will be seen as former captain Kapil Dev, has already introduced his team.

In an earlier interview with Mumbai Mirror, Pankaj revealed that he was moved to tears when he heard the script of 83. “He (Kabir Khan) is one of my favourite directors and we met a couple of times but never got an opportunity to work together. Then one day, he called me to narrate the story of 83 and at certain points, it made me tear up,” the actor said.

 

Pankaj also said that he has played sports when he was younger and loves cricket. “I was good at bowling and fielding and I am hoping to brush up my batting skills while prepping for this film. I will also meet Man Singh ji and talk to him about his experiences. For now, I have been given some books and documents to refer to,” he said.

83 also stars Deepika Padukone as Kapil Dev’s wife Romi Bhatia, Harrdy Sandhu as Madan Lal, Saqib Saleem as Mohinder Amarnath, Tahir Raj Bhasin as Sunil Gavaskar and Ammy Virk as Balwinder Sandhu, among others.

Ranveer earlier told IANS that he was elated to be a part of an “incredible” film like 83. “It’s an honour to be a part of one of the most incredible sporting stories of our nation’s history, the 1983 cricket World Cup. We have the honour of telling this story and immortalising this on celluloid,” he said.

Who is Man Singh?

The 1983 World Cup was the first full-fledged assignment as the team manager for PR Man Singh. “I flouted many Board rules in my capacity as manager,” he told Sportstar in an earlier interview, adding, “We had four players with their wives and I gave them permission to stay in the hotel. I also allowed them to travel in the team bus when going to venues out of London. This was unthinkable then. Good the Board today allows the players to bring their families for some time.”

Produced by Reliance Entertainment, 83 will open in theatres on April 10, 2020.