Tahir Raj Bhasin roped in for 83

Actor Tahir Raj Bhasin, best remembered for playing the lead antagonist in Pradeep Sarkar’s acclaimed movie Mardaani (2014), has been signed on to play an important role in the forthcoming film 83.

The actor will be seen playing celebrated cricketer Sunil Gavaskar in the film which is being helmed by filmmaker Kabir Khan and stars Ranveer Singh in the role of legendary cricketer Kapil Dev. 83 chronicles Indian cricket team’s unprecedented win in the 1983 Cricket World Cup.

“The casting of Sunil Gavaskar was important since he was one of the superstars of the team. I needed an actor with a certain gravitas to portray the Little Master. Tahir had the persona for that,” said Kabir Khan.

Talking about how he is preparing for the role, Tahir Raj Bhasin said, “For now, I’m focusing on striking the ball with half the panache that Gavaskar did. I look forward to meeting him once we’re settled in the training regime. We train three days a week, focusing on our stance and batting technique”.

83, bankrolled by Reliance Entertainment, is set to start rolling in London this summer.