Entertainment Desk

Cricket and cinema make a hugely popular combo in the Indian subcontinent. Such is the passion for films and cricket that silver screen super stars and cricketers vie with each other for capturing the popular imagination. And the two popular arenas are present in the upcoming biopic on Sri Lanka’s spin legend Muttiah Muralitharan “A Legendary 800 - Against all Odds.”

Murali chose to talk about his biopic at the 54th International Film festival of India in Goa on November 26, sharing his incredible story at an “In-Conversation” session, a story which began amidst conflict and uncertainty in Sri Lanka and saw him defying all odds to become a cricketing legend. "Cricket was my solace during those tumultuous times," reminiscing his childhood days. What makes Muralitharan’s story the stuff of a dream is, as he said, that he had once never dreamt of playing for his school, what to think of representing his country.

Discussing the biopic, the cricketer emphasised on its authenticity. "It's not about glorification; it's about truth," he said and added he meticulously scrutinised the script several times to ensure the narrative stayed faithful to his struggles and triumphs.

Speaking about the ‘chucking controversy’ over his bowling action in Australia in 1995, Murali claimed it was done purposefully to put him down. “It was a heart-break but I didn't give up and continued with active support from my fellow teammates and the cricket board,” he said.

According to Murali, the worst incident in his cricketing journey was the attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team in Pakistan.

After retiring from cricket, Murali has been running a charitable organisation working on a range of projects across areas including children's needs, education and training, health care and psycho-social support, housing, livelihood, sport and the environment.

The director of the biopic Sripathy M said the film does not merely portray a celebrity cricketer but encapsulates the seismic events and struggles that shaped Murali’s life. “The film aims to capture the essence of a legend whose journey was as dramatic off the field, as it was on”, he added.

“We wanted to make a truthful story of a legend, whose personal and professional life is too dramatic to handle,” the director said.

Madhurr Mittal, portraying Murali in the film, said “this is more than a sports film. It is a human drama and the resilience of a great sportsperson, stronger than fiction.” Playing the role of Murali, Madhurr said, was very exciting. “To recreate the bowling action of the spin wizard, I practised with a bowling coach for two months to honour Murali's legacy,” Mittal said.

Averaging over six wickets per Test match, Muralitharan is widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of the sport and is the only bowler to take 800 Test wickets and more than 530 One Day International (ODI) wickets. Muralitharan was a part of the Sri Lankan team that won the 1996 Cricket World Cup.