“Kapil Dev’s Natraj shot came naturally to Ranveer Singh” – Balwinder Singh Sandhu shares fascinating anecdotes ahead of ‘83’ release

The Virat Kohli-led Indian Test contingent will take on South Africa in the first Test of the three-match series at Centurion on Boxing Day. However, more than India’s chances of conquering the 'final frontier', the whole country is currently abuzz with the ‘83’ fever.

How 'Kapil’s Devils' defied the odds to script a classic underdog plot 38 years ago is a tale that has been told and re-told millions of times. Even the back-stories related to each cricketer are so well documented that they require little elucidation. But the charm lies here: they never get old.

Why would they? After all, a team that nobody believed in went on to stage the unlikeliest of heists and transform world cricket forever. To gauge the immensity of the occasion, try imagining world cricket sans India’s 1983 World Cup triumph. The sport would’ve been left much poorer, both literally and metaphorically, and Sachin Tendulkar might never have wanted to become a cricketer!

With director Kabir Khan’s much-awaited ‘83’ scheduled to be released on Christmas Eve, everyone will get a chance to relive India’s glorious 1983 World Cup campaign in England that symbolized the nation’s sporting emancipation in the international arena. Starring Ranveer Singh as Kapil Dev, the film chronicles the events leading up to the historic final at Lord’s on June 25, where India beat the mighty West Indies by 43 runs while defending a low score of 183.

One of the heroes from the 'Class of 83', Balwinder Singh Sandhu, has made a significant contribution to the project. The spunky former swing bowler is best remembered for his dogged resistance against Malcolm Marshall’s fireballs and the classic dismissal of Gordon Greenidge with his “banana skin delivery” in the final.

As the film’s associate director, he not only imparted cricket training to the entire cast but also supervised every minute detail. “Kapdo me kitna mitti hona chahiye, yeh bhi maine decide kiya tha. Mujhe bohot creative satisfaction mila,” (“The extent of mud stains on the clothing was also decided by me. It gave me a lot of creative satisfaction,”) he quipped when asked about his takeaway from the filming process.

A couple of days prior to the release of ‘83’, Sportskeeda sat down in conversation with Sandhu and listened intently to his fascinating anecdotes about Indian cricket’s 'miracle men' and their cinematic counterparts.

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Q: After a long wait, ‘83’ will finally be released this week. How excited are you at this stage, and what was your reaction when you first saw the trailer?

Sandhu: Ah! There are more butterflies in my tummy now than what used to be during my playing days. I trained more than 60 cricketers for the movie, so obviously I’m very nervous (laughs). There are 14 times more butterflies in my stomach because I trained 14 Indian actors to be cricketers (laughs again). I'm the associate director of the movie and all the cricket scenes were approved by me. I’m desperately waiting for the D-Day. I think the butterflies will only settle down once I watch the movie!

When the film was being shot, I cried three times. I had seen the World Cup inside out as a player, but during the shooting I was an ordinary viewer. It really hit me and all my emotions came out. The way Kabir [Khan] has made the movie, I’m sure we’ll all cry when we watch it on the big screen. Kabir is a great story-teller and this movie will be an emotional roller coaster.

The real Balwinder Singh Sandhu (L) with his reel counterpart Ammy Virk. (Image Courtesy: Ranveer Singh)

Q: India’s 1983 World Cup triumph is a classic underdog story. However, the team seemed better prepared for this tournament compared to the previous two campaigns in 1975 and 1979 as you won your first two matches against the West Indies and Zimbabwe respectively. Could you talk us through your preparations for the 1983 World Cup?

Sandhu: We toured Pakistan and the West Indies that year before traveling to England for the World Cup. We won only one of the four practice games and everyone was struggling. I remember, we were traveling to Manchester for our first match and we didn’t have any time for team meetings. So, we had a team meeting inside the bus. It was very brief and everyone knew what his role was. Only after winning the first game did we feel that we could perform better than what we did in the previous World Cups. I think the way Kapil [Dev] led from the front instilled belief in us. He used to say, “Jaake khelenge, dil se ladenge aur jeetenge!” [We’ll play and fight wholeheartedly, and win too!] Since six or seven of us were Punjabis, I think that fearless Punjabi attitude made all the difference.

Q: The fact that Kapil Dev’s epic 175* at the Tunbridge Wells was not televised remains one of world cricket’s greatest misfortunes. What are your memories of that innings, and how challenging was it to capture it in the movie since there’s no footage of the same?

Sandhu: To judge the greatness of that innings, you have to understand the context. We went into the reverse fixture against Zimbabwe having lost the previous two matches very badly. So, it was a do-or-die match for us.

Kapil’s 175* was the tournament-defining innings. It’s undoubtedly the greatest innings in World Cup history. On a track where the ball was seaming and swinging and against a quality fielding side, Kapil looked like a man possessed. The sixes that he hit not only cleared the ropes, but fell 20 yards outside the ground! And the best part about that knock was he played proper cricket shots; there was no slogging. I was lucky to be part of the Indian dressing room that day.

In the movie, we tried to recreate the shots. Ranveer [Singh] has done a great job. He worked very hard, but never looked tired. At the same time, he was a good listener. He grasped whatever instructions I gave him and was highly motivated to emulate all the shots correctly. In fact, Kapil’s Natraj shot came very naturally to Ranveer! I told him to stick to his natural ability because Kapil’s pull shot came naturally to him. Hence, I didn’t tinker with it (smiles). He did a brilliant job of getting into the skin of Kapil’s character.

Clean bowled: A clueless Gordon Greenidge is left undone by Sandhu's 'banana skin delivery'. (Image Courtesy: Getty Images)

Q: Let’s talk about the final of the ’83 World Cup. It was you who brought the momentum in India’s favor by dismissing Gordon Greenidge with that iconic inswinger. I’ve heard that you have a special visiting card depicting that dismissal. Please recall the moment for us.

Sandhu: Yes! I had a visiting card that depicted a caricature of Greenidge leaving the ball. You can still find the logo on my website. I was about to give it to Greenidge when we met in Mumbai, but later chose not to because it would’ve been humiliating. We've never discussed that dismissal whenever we've met each other after the ’83 final. I was a huge fan of Greenidge and Vivian Richards. Gordon’s son plays his role in the movie and it was a big surprise for me when he came to watch the shoot one day. I admire Gordon both as a cricketer and as a person.

The caricature printed on Balwinder Singh Sandhu's visiting card. (Image Courtesy: Balwinder Singh Sandhu)

Q: You were also hit by a lethal Malcolm Marshall bouncer during India’s batting in the final. Did it act as a catalyst for your bowling, and how was the scene shot in the movie?

Sandhu: It’s a very important scene leading up to the climax. It really charged me up. I won’t say it was a turning point in the final, but it certainly raised our hopes. When I went into bat, I told myself that I wouldn’t throw away my wicket. I told my partner [Syed Kirmani] that if we managed to bat for the remaining 15-16 overs, we could easily add 30-40 runs. I told him not to get out because I knew the West Indies bowlers would be unable to dismiss me. I kept playing on the frontfoot even against the short balls, which really irritated Marshall. He couldn’t endure my typical Bombay 'khadoos' (stubborn) attitude. So, he ran in with full steam and bowled a bouncer that I saw late. It hit the flap of my helmet and felt like a big slap on my ears. There was some whistling sound in my ear, but I stood up, adjusted my helmet and looked back at him. The act made me more stubborn and then I put on 22 runs with Kiri bhai for the last wicket. I was never scared of fast bowling. You could hit me, you could injure me, but you could never frighten me with pace.

Later, during our bowling innings, my dismissal of Greenidge motivated everyone. Gunday ko pehla punch maine hi mara tha (I landed the first punch on the opponent)! Then everyone was like: Ab toh chhodenge nahi inko (Now we’ll not spare them).

Q: I’m really curious to know this. You got the breakthrough when the West Indies were on 5 runs. That moment would’ve got anyone excited. How did so many Punjabi boys manage to keep their calm throughout the innings?

Sandhu: It’s a good question. In a low-scoring game, you ought to hold your nerves and try not to get carried away. Being a Punjabi myself, I got very excited after taking Greenidge’s wicket. Then Kapil ran up to me and told me to relax. Jimmy [Mohinder] Amarnath was fielding at mid-on. He kept saying things in Punjabi that would soothe my nerves. His smile took the pressure off me.

Q: What is the best compliment you’ve received regarding the Greenidge wicket?

Sandhu: After the World Cup, my father hugged me and gave me a pat on the back. It spoke more about what I achieved in the World Cup than perhaps a whole paragraph written on me. He never used to praise or criticize me. Even when I performed well in first-class cricket, not once did he praise me.

Q: You managed to bring home a stump from the final as a souvenir. Does it serve as a vivid reminder of your enormous achievement on June 25 every year?

Sandhu: (Pause) The stump keeps reminding me of what we accomplished as a nation on June 25, 1983. There's still some soil stuck to it. People love the ‘83 team so much that they narrate their own stories to me on June 25 every year. They say that we've inspired them and brought happiness to their lives. It feels good to see our self-esteem being raised.

Q: Yashpal Sharma will be dearly missed when we watch ‘83’ in a few days’ time. What is your fondest memory of him?

Sandhu: We put on a 107-run partnership in 1983’s Jamaica Test against the West Indies. I have many fond memories of him. He was my room partner during the World Cup and we had a lot of fun together. Our children are great friends. They love each other’s company. The news of his death made me very emotional. We’ll miss him during the screening…we’ll surely miss him. He was really looking forward to this movie (Pause).

Q: From whatever little we’ve seen in the trailer, Ammy Virk seems to have captured your liveliness and characteristics wonderfully. How has your interaction with him been?

Sandhu: Ammy is a very instinctive and spontaneous actor. He’s also a brilliant singer. I didn’t need to spend much time on him. He observed me thoroughly and picked up my mannerisms almost perfectly. My sense of humor also rubbed off on him. Kabir guided him on how he wanted my character to be portrayed. He's a good cricketer, so his batting and fielding looked fine. Harrdy Sandhu, who plays Madan Lal, is also a good cricketer. Then Nishant Dahiya got into Roger Binny’s action quite fast. I think Dhairya [Karwa] was outstanding as Ravi [Shastri]! He was a right-arm bowler, but he turned into a left-arm spinner to play Ravi's role. He was in that action for over six months. Kirti Azad’s action was also picked up superbly by Dinker [Sharma].

Q: The bowling actions have changed significantly over the years. From a technical perspective, how did you help these actors imbibe the bowling styles of the ‘80s?

Sandhu: I was basically a swing bowler. As a coach, I’m an expert in the biomechanics of pace bowling. Kapil and I were side-arm bowlers, so our actions were quite good biomechanically. That’s why we never suffered from back problems during our playing days. On the other hand, the bowlers who bowl today suffer from back problems because their actions are biomechanically bad. With open action, a bowler can only bowl fast. But how many of them can swing the ball both ways at will?

All the actors worked very hard to learn those skills. I was there to give them input. We shot videos every day to show them exactly what was required of them, and measured their progress by referring to the original footage of the ’83 World Cup. They were highly motivated to play their parts effectively. Everyone felt proud to be in Team ‘83’.

The reel 'Class of 83' with Balwinder Singh Sandhu and Mohinder Amarnath during the Dharamshala boot camp in 2019. (Image Courtesy: 83 on Facebook)

Q: Do you regret not playing more than 8 Tests and 22 ODIs for India despite being an integral part of Indian cricket’s watershed event?

Sandhu: I don’t have any regrets because India didn’t play much international cricket back then. So, if you suffered an injury, it was difficult to make a comeback. The situation has changed drastically now. Even if you go out of the team in one format today, you can still make a comeback by doing well in other formats. The opportunities are far greater now compared to our era. You also have good physios and trainers who can get you into shape in quick time, whereas we went to play the World Cup with only PR Man Singh as our manager.

Q: How confident are you about the success of '83'?

Sandhu: I was involved in every aspect of making this film except the music. I’ve learnt a lot from Kabir about the film-making process during the shoot of ‘83’. I’m telling you - this movie is going to make history. Touchwood, if COVID doesn’t interrupt here, this movie will become a landmark in the history of Indian cinema. It will be taught in film schools; it will teach aspiring filmmakers how to make a 'sports drama'. Those who’ve seen the movie already have gone crazy! I’m sure ‘83’ will be a big success, just like our 1983 World Cup campaign!