One would imagine that Ranveer Singh is ecstatic at the appreciation that 83 is winning. But above all, he is feeling a deep sense of relief — the actor had taken on an intimidating task in retelling one of the most defining moments of Indian cricket history. “I felt duty-bound to do my best and anchor a film that is important for our nation. It is an achievement that we want the coming generations to know of,” says Singh, who stepped into the shoes of Kapil Dev for the film.

When he came on board the sports drama, director Kabir Khan and he agreed that authenticity would be key to recreating India’s victory at the 1983 Cricket World Cup. “I owed it to the players of the 1983 World Cup-winning squad to represent and portray their achievement and [offer a fitting] cinematic rendition,” says the actor. The Christmas release was among the few movies that had not taken the OTT route, instead waiting in the wings for over a year to open at the marquee. Stating his reasons, Singh says, “I felt responsible for Indian cinema after the struggles that the entertainment business has been through. [It was crucial] to deliver a film that brings people back into theatres.”