"83" NE BOX OFFICE KE KHEL KE MAIDAN MEIN RANVEER SINGH AUR DEEPITA KO ZOR KA DHAKKA MARA... By Ali Peter John

All the boys in my building where anxiously waiting for Christmas and where planning how to celebrate the fist - ALI PETER JOHN

They all unanimously decided to start the celebration with the first show of Kabir Khan's "83".

I was a witness to the historic match which was to decide the winner of the World Cup in cricket at the Lord's in England and I remember how we kept clinging to our chairs and sofa sets to watch the thrilling finale to the match and I know how thrilled the entire country was when that last ball was bowled and we were the winners.

I expected the boys who were very close to me and shared all their opinions and even their secrets and love affairs with me and I even used to help them by writing their love letters for them.

They came home much before the show could end and looked very angry and disappointed. One of them dismissed "83" as "bakwaas".

Another said "Christmas ka mood ka satynash kar diya" and the youngest of them said "Kabir Khan ka ghar kahan hain ..Jaake usse apna paisa wapas mangte hain".

Not one of them had anything good to say about the film, not even about Ranveer Singh who according to almost every critic had praised his absolutely brilliant performance in the role of Kapil Dev...

I felt it was only the crazy voice from my building who had such a nasty opinion about " 83", but within 2 days I discovered that the negative opinion about the film was the same opinion in different parts of the country.

And I decided to find out what had gone wrong with one of the most eagerly awaited film which was talked about all through the pandemic among all sections of people.

I spoke to other producers and directors, I spoke to some leading directors and distributors and once again I found the general opinion going against "83".

The one factor which they all pointed out was the wrong timing of the release. They said the film should not have been release when the Corona virus was still in the air and experts were even expecting the third wave and besides there was a new enemy in the form of Omicron.

They all said that the makers could have had some patience and waited for the situation to change which could have brought in the audience in a big way.

The other common opinion was that the film was like a documentary or a docudrama and there was no masala or entertainment which is what most audiences look for in most films.

The third disadvantage for "83" according to the middle class was that the rates of the tickets were too high for the people who were still struggling under the attack of the pandemic.

And the film according to many had nothing new to offer to the younger audiences who had seen the original match on different sports channel where it was shown time and again.

And for my generation there was nothing new because we had seen the match and all the exploits of "Kapil's Devil's" when the match was played before our eyes.

The makers seemed to have gut carried away by their own adventures and spent more money in the making than was necessary. For example, where was the need to shoot the match at Lord's itself, when it could have been shot in any of the best stadium we have in India, including the Motera stadium in Gujarat which was made famous by our Prime Minister who hosted a public reception for the then President of America, Donald Trump...?

The film is supposed to have been made on a budget of 270 crore and what it has recovered till now is not even 100 crore and the way things are, it seems like there are no chances of the film picking up at the box office, which means the makers will be facing huge losses. Is there a way to sell them?

It doesn't look like, but if the pandemic is kind and leaves, the film could be release again after a few weeks.

Or the only other way will be to release it on the OTT platform, which I think will be like and innings defeat for Kabir Khan and his team.

What I feel sorry for the most is Ranveer Singh's applause and award winning performance as Kapil Dev.

And also feel sorry for Ranveer's talented wife, Deepika who has played Romi Dev, the wife of Kapil Dev and who is also one of the producers of the film.

KHEL KOI KHEL KI CHEESE NAHIN HOTI. HAR KHEL KO JI JAAN SE KHELNA PADTA HAIN, NAHIN TO AISE HI HOTA HAIN JO 83 KA 2022 MEIN HO RAHA HAIN.

CORONA NE KIS KIS FILM WALON PER VAAR KIYA .... ALI PETER JOHN

In the beginning, the pandemic was not taken as seriously as it should have been. I don't like to bring in politics here, but I clearly remember how Rajeev Gandhi had almost predicted that something very dangerous and even lethal was going to strike the country, but neither the government nor the people were willing to take this seriously, because he was still the Pappu as they called him.

And then The Corona Virus struck the country with a vengeance and people were dying all over as a result and the Corona Virus did not believe in high or low or rich and poor and claimed victims from all classes of people and bollywood was no exception.

The first major victims of the Virus were Amitabh Bachchan and his son Abhishek. They were admitted to the Nanawati Hospital and were fortunate to walk out safe and even go back to work.

Shravan Rathod, a partner of the Nadeem- Shravan team had not paid enough attention and had gone to the Kumbh Mela to have a dip, but when he came back he was tested positive for Corona and was admitted to one of the best hospital and was treated by the doctors, but nothing or no one could save him and he died when he was only 58.

In recent times, Kareena Kapoor Khan had forgotten all the covid protocol and had hosted a party at her new residence which was attended by many of her friends.

And within days of the party Kareena, Amrita Arora, Seema Khan, the sister in law of Salman Khan, Maheep Kapoor the wife of Sanjay Kapoor all tested positive, but they have now recovered.

The new victims are John Abraham and his wife and Mrunal Takur who will be making her debut as a leading Lady with Shahid Kapoor in "Jersey".

AAJ BHI CHAARON TARAF BHAI KA VATAVARAN HAIN AUR HAR CHEHRE PAR MASK SE JYADA DARR HAIN, LEKIN HUM NA PEHLE SUDHRE HAIN AUR AB LAGTA HAIN KE HUM AB BHI NAHIN SUDHRENGE AUR AAGE BHI NAHIN SUDHRENGE. AUR MERI DUA AUR UMEED HAIN KI MERE FILM INSUSTRY KE LOG MUJHE GALAT SABIT KAR DE AUR SUDHAR JAAYE, PLEASE, KHUDA KE LIYE AUR AAP KE LIYE. KYA AAP KHUDA SE DHARTE NAHIN? KYA AAP CORONA SE NAHIN DARTE? AUR KYA AAP APNE AAP KE LIYE AUR APNE KARIB KE PYARE LOGON KE LIYE NAHIN DARTE? SOCHO, SOCHO..NAHIN TO CORONA AA JAYEGA

ALI PETER JOHN

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