Usually, sports biopics are about our own sporting greats. ‘800’ is a different outing. It tells the spirited and rare journey of former Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan, whose bowling exploits captivated a generation of sports lovers when he played from 1992 to 2011. This October release, directed by MS Sripathy, is in the news because its 3-minute-long trailer was unveiled today.
Through and through, a certain mood has been maintained in the trailer (and, by extension, in the film, too, probably). As a child, Muralitharan directly experienced turmoil as a minority Tamil. As he grew up, the civil war between Tamil separatists and the Sinhalese-majority security forces continued to simmer in the background. All this has been staged evocatively, the trailer suggests. Despite all adversities, he went on to become an international player.
Madhur Mittal is earnest in the role of Muralitharan. He hardly smiles and is always intent on scaring the batsmen. No wonder his 800-wicket Test match haul is unprecedented.
The audience have been waiting to watch a serious-minded, authentic cricket-based film. ‘800’ comes as the answer.
The film will be released in Telugu, Tamil, Hindi and English by Sridevi Movies’ Sivalenka Krishna Prasad across India. Post-production works are going on at a brisk pace. The music is by Ghibran.
