Syed Kirmani was ecstatic that I am playing him in '83: Sahil Khattar

MUMBAI: Sahil Khattar is leaving for his debut film '83's shoot along with the cast to England (today, Monday). He plays the role of the bald and the beautiful cricketer Syed Kirmani. The actor says that the preparations for the film had been going on in full swing.

'The preparations were going on, and we get regular inputs from Syed Mujtaba Hussain Kirmani. He was here, and the kind of insight he gave was great. Other cricketers were here as well with Syed Kirmani. He changed very little of what I was doing. The fact that he also comes from a hardworking and a dedicated background is why he was able to see the hard work and dedication I was putting in. There's no difference in the way we look, so he had no qualms. When Syed Kirmaniji came, we talked a lot, and he shared his memories from The World Cup in 1983, when Kapil Dev and he made record-breaking 9th wicket partnership of 126 runs. He was appreciating my work a lot and told me that he was happy that an actor of my calibre was going to portray his character. I look similar to him, and our personalities are also the same, as we both have a quirky sense of humour, which is enjoyed by the reel and real team of '83. As soon as Syed Kirmani saw me, he addressed me as Kiribhai, and that broke the ice between us,' he says. 

He adds, 'The film is going on floors now. During 1983, the cricket team put out a camp before going to the World Cup. We did something similar in Dharamshala. We prepared ourselves for a fictional World Cup.'   

Sahil is sure that the film will do wonders for his career, and he is working hard to achieve Kirmani's cartwheel. He is sure to do so in the best way possible. He further adds, 'Girls were crazy about Kirmani ji, and I hope that after this film, girls go mad for me too (laughs). Kudos to Kabir Khan. He has prepared us so well that I think that next year, we will be at the auction for IPL. To be with Kirmani Sir was a great moment. I was with him all the time to see how he behaved and gestured at small things and learned that. The way he laughed and his style… I was mesmerised by his aura.'

The actor shares a great bond with the rest of the team too. 'We train together and it's been great. Everyone comes from different backgrounds. I am from the digital space background. Everyone is from different walks of life, and everyone is playing like a team. Nobody is arrogant or egoistic about their status. We are playing like a team, as we all know that it's a story based on a team. I am also preparing for Syed Kirmani's Hyderabadi accent. Bonding wise, it's going great, and it's a fun environment to work in. This film will be # Khatarnak,' he says.