Exclusive! Jatin Sarna: After 83, people will forget Bunty and only remember Yashpal Sharma

Jatin Sarna became a household name with his quirky yet villainous act in the Netflix series Sacred Games. The actor is now gearing up for the release of Kabir Khan’s 83 in which he plays Yashpal Sharma. From playing the explosive middle-order batsman onscreen to having Ranveer Singh as the reel-life captain, Jatin spoke exclusively to OTTplay about all things 83.

The talented actor is quite confident that the film will stay in people’s minds for a long time and will urge them to rewatch and relive it.

Excerpts from the conversation:

How does it feel to be a part of this huge movie which everyone has been waiting on for more than a year now?

I think their wait will be worth it. To be honest, the movie is made with full heart, soul, and everything. Though it's a very historical event, we all know about that. But creating that history, when you see it, you will feel the magic, and it will run with you. So I can just assure you that it's going to be a massive hit and very well made.

Did you play cricket while growing up? Are you also a fan of cricket?

Yes, I wanted to be a cricketer. But when I realised only 11 players were going to make it into the team, there was no point. There's a lot of hard work in it. First, you dream about it, then you practice for it. One day, I saw a child. The story goes like this: I insisted my uncle take me to Dhyan Chand Stadium. I wanted to learn cricket and sought admission there. For some reason, the stadium was shut. When we were returning, I saw a small kid walking with this very heavy kit on his back. I realised he started the practice at this age and I was a few years older than him, so it would take me a lot of time to learn the game, and it would be of no use to him. So I dropped my idea and decided to pursue something else. Fortunately, I got the chance to play a cricketer in this movie, and I'm feeling great about it.

Did you hear any stories about the 1983 World Cup while growing up?

I only heard about Mr. Kapil Dev, Sunil Gavaskar, Mohinder Amarnath, and Madan Lal. For me, Yashpal Sharma was someone about whom I had no idea till the time I got a call from Mukesh Chhabra Casting Company that Kabir Khan wanted to test me for the role of Yashpal Sharma. Before that, I was tested for Madan Lal, so I didn't have much idea about them. I knew about Kapil Dev because when I used to play gully cricket, I hit the ball at my uncle's house. So, he used to come out angry and say in Punjabi, "Kapil Dev di aulaad." That's how Kapil Dev stuck in my mind. I had earlier got a chance to meet him, but that did not happen. I didn't know much about the team, only that we won the World Cup in 1983 and changed the course of Indian cricket and also our country. Finally, now that I have made the film, I know each one of them, their stories, and what they've been through during the World Cup.

You know, Yashpal Sharma sadly passed away before the release of the film, and you're portraying him on the big screen. If you could share an anecdote with him...

First, he was a very disciplined and focused man. So there were a few things that I think matched automatically. The point of proving yourself, your worth, I got to learn those things from him and could relate to them too. When we were practising at Dharamshala, he came to meet us. For me, it was a moment of nervousness as well. I didn't know much about him, I only knew what was in the script. I wanted to hear from him about his life, so he shared his family and thoughts while playing in the 1983 World Cup. They were so important to me so that I could imbibe those thoughts in my mind while playing him in 83. I not only wanted to copy his actions and be in his get-up with makeup on, I wanted to live as that person from the inside also.

Even before heading to London, I spoke to him, and he shared anecdotes about his first match against the West Indies, where he became the Man of the Match with 89 runs. All these gave me power, as this team is filled with stars, where everyone shined and contributed in some of the other matches.

Unfortunately, he is not among us now, and I wished to see his reaction. Kabir Sir also said that Yashpal Sharma wanted to watch the film so badly. I think he didn't get his due post-World Cup. He was the man who performed so well from the very first match. I think his memories will stay with me for a lifetime.

Was there any mannerism that you found difficult to adapt to?

Yes, because when I started training for this, matching the action was one thing, but I always had this thing on my mind that his batting was explosive, as you said, so he just hit fours and sixes. It stuck in my mind as I saw the rushes. Of course, we had footage of a few World Cup matches they played in. So whatever I saw on YouTube, I used to forget techniques and only hit the ball during practice. This was wrong because I was going out of the technique. I had to match his shots, but I forgot all of those and was just after the ball. Everyone used to ask me to move aside as they feared I might just tear up the ball. Balwinder Singh Sandhu was our coach and was also a part of the 83 squad. He always asked me to see the ball before hitting it. He even gave me a nickname, "Ayaash batsman", and said I had no connection with the technique while practising the game. Due to this, I even got badly injured and had bruises on my thigh or ribs.

How was it having Ranveer Singh as the reel captain on the sets?

I think he was the one who got this energy and passion together for this film. There was not a moment where we thought one was superior or inferior to the other. We united as a strong team, and Ranveer had a huge role in it. He looked after everyone very lovingly. You will even get to see the real-life bond reflected in the film. One gets to learn a lot from that man. His passion and love for work are everything; there's no burden. For us, he is the best captain.

It was a challenging film to shoot for Kabir Khan too, so how was it working with him?

Firstly, I would say that nobody could have made this film except Kabir Khan because the way he did his homework was excellent. He knew what he was going to do, so that was the most important thing. For that, we started living together in a camp for seven days in Dharamshala. So we were travelling together, we were eating together, we were practising together to bring out that bond. Before coming to this film, we all went through the script reading. We knew what our part was. We were all prepared before going on to the sets. Fortunately, everyone had their moment to stand out; everybody gets a chance to tell their story on screen. After watching the film, you will like that part the most because it's a film about the team and not a single person. Hats off to Kabir Sir for that. Even the actors didn't show any greed during the shoot. The positive point about 83 is that we created a beautiful relationship among ourselves, which was very important.

You know, cricket is considered a religion in India, and the year 1983 is one of the most important events in the country’s sporting history. Did that add any pressure while being a part of the film?

Definitely! There were 12–13 people who were in that World Cup. Everyone had their own lives and dreams. This project is very powerful because Kabir Sir spoke to every cricketer, and as it's not fiction, it's not a fantasy, which is why this project is very powerful. That's why I am very proud that I am a part of this film based on a historical event. There was nothing done to make it entertaining, as every incident was very filmy. We didn't have to add anything to it, we just had to place it. Kabir Sir and his team invested so much time in researching for the film that the shoot started nearly two years after it was announced. Trust me, I have seen the film. People will love it. They will carry this film with them, and every time you see something about it post-watching, it will grow on you more.

People remember you for your role in the Sacred Games, and since the character has become so iconic, it will stick for generations. Do you expect that to happen with 83 as well, knowing that it also has an ensemble cast?

When I was in school, I did not do well academically. I used to either fail or score fewer marks. So when I used to show my report card to my parents, they used to ask me the reason. I told them, "I attempted every question. I wonder why I scored so less." Then they used to tell me, "If you had attempted an 80-mark paper, you should have scored that much." How come you got 30 or 40 marks?" My mom used to say, "How much you attempted, you will get marks only according to that." The same thing happened to me in my films. I have put 100 per cent of effort into it and I am getting the same result. The film is itself so beautiful that I have full faith that when they watch it, they will forget Bunty and only remember Yashpal Sharma. I believe that. I can't say more about it. Only the audience can say if I have done a good or bad job. But one thing I know is that I loved playing this character and I loved shooting for this film. I worked for it wholeheartedly, and even the whole team. I have full faith in my director, Kabir Sir. He gave everyone a good space in the film.