Ashok Namboodiri
Sholay, arguably Hindi cinema’s most popular film, was released on August 15, 1975. Wait a minute… whats that got to do with sports? As I sat down to write a piece on Independence day, I thought of letting my mind wander and having some fun. Growing up in Kolkata in the eighties, some of my best memories centered around this cult classic of a film and the 1983 World Cup win under Kapil Dev. Back in school, we used to play this little game of comparing the team members to the cast of Sholay, and I am going to do just that this afternoon. As Gabbar Singh would say, “Bahut Mazaa aayega.”
Kapil Dev is Veeru (Dharmendra) – Carefree, fearless, and always ready with a sixer or a one-liner. Veeru hanging from the water tank is Kapil hanging in at Tunbridge Wells before launching into the Zimbabwe attack. Both had that madcap streak that made legends possible.
Sunil Gavaskar would then be the perfect foil to Veeru as Jai (Amitabh Bachchan)…Silent, intense, dependable. Jai was the calm counterpoint to Veeru’s flamboyance. Much like Gavaskar – stoic, stubborn, the wall you simply couldn’t breach. If Veeru/Kapil hit out, Jai/Gavaskar stonewalled. Only the height was a problem!
My pick for Thakur Baldev Singh would be Mohinder Amarnath. Disciplined, steely, carrying wounds but still fighting. Thakur’s crippled arms didn’t stop his spirit, just as Amarnath’s repeated comebacks and calm under pressure won India both the semifinal and final. Thakur’s famous “Ye haath mujhe de de” is Amarnath handing over wickets and runs just when India needed them.
Fans of Sandeep Patil…apologies in advance, but he is our Basanti (Hema Malini)…Hear us out! Patil batted like Basanti danced…full of flair, energy, and absolutely refusing to slow down. The English bowlers were the “taangewalas” trying to trip him, but Patil twirled past them with a smile and a flourish.
Krishnamachari Srikkanth would be Soorma Bhopali (Jagdeep). Unpredictable, funny, and impossible to ignore. Soorma’s dialogues delivered in that cracked-up, sinus-laced tone cracked up audiences just like Srikkanth’s madcap batting cracked open bowling attacks. Both were scene-stealers without even trying too hard.
Yashpal Sharma is our Radha (Jaya Bhaduri). Radha was quiet strength, holding the fragile threads together. Yashpal did that with the bat – his 89 vs West Indies in the opening match set the tone. Radha didn’t speak much, but her presence mattered. Neither did Yashpal need many words….just runs.
Kirti Azad is the veritable epitome of Rahim Chacha (AK Hangal)…The unsung elder in the frame. Rahim Chacha had just one great line: “Itna sannata kyun hai bhai?” Azad had just one unforgettable contribution: bowling Ian Botham in the semi-final. Both delivered their one scene with maximum impact.
Roger Binny has to be Ramlal (Satyen Kappu). Loyal, hardworking, and often overlooked. Ramlal kept the household going, Roger kept the Indian bowling going. Neither hogged headlines, but without them, the story would fall apart.
How about Madan Lal for MacMohan’s Sambha? Okay, Sambha barely got lines, but when he did, everyone remembered: “Arre o Sambha, kitna inaam rakhe hai sarkar hum par?” Madan Lal didn’t have star billing either, but his three wickets in the final including Viv Richards were worth all the inaam in the world.
Syed Kirmani , contrary to what you would imagine is Mausi (Leela Mishra)…Kiri behind the stumps was like Mausi in the family…nagging, scolding, yet absolutely essential. His catch to dismiss Faoud Bacchus was like Mausi finally saying, “Haan, beta shaadi kara do” and the whole khandaan erupting in joy.
Balwinder Sandhu is Asrani as the Angrezon ka Jailor. Think about it: Asrani’s jailor scene starts serious and then collapses into slapstick chaos. Sandhu’s opening over in the final was exactly that…he looked innocuous, then suddenly produced that outrageous banana swing to clean bowl Gordon Greenidge. The Windies thought they were in control, and then—total comedy of errors! Both Asrani and Sandhu had short screen-time but unforgettable impact. When Asrani said “Hum Angrezon ke zamaane ke jailor hai,” you laughed. When Sandhu made Greenidge look like a schoolboy, you roared!
The 1983 team had the fire of Veeru, the silence of Jai, the grit of Thakur, and the madness of Gabbar. If Sholay was the greatest film ever made, 1983 was the greatest match ever played. And both, even so many years later, still make your hair stand on end.
Post Script: What’s that? Did you ask: Who is Gabbar Singh? Well, that swagger could only belong to one man even today… the man whom everyone feared and loved…Issac Vivian Alexander Richards!
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