Nevill Cricket Ground

’83 (2021)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Ranveer Singh, as legendary Indian cricketer Kapil Dev, stands in the centre of the frame holding a cricket bat. He has one leg in the air and his body is turned slightly as if he has just swung the bat in his hands. Singh has curly black hair and a thick moustache. He wears a cricket kit, including tight white trousers, large white knee pads, large white cricket gloves with red dots over the fingers, and a white V-neck knitted jumper with blue, yellow and black stripes on the end of the sleeves, around the collar and around the trim. Behind him, blurred out, are a crowd of spectators watching on.

Ranveer Singh in ’83 © Reliance Entertainment

Director: Kabir Khan
Starring: Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, Jiiva, Saqib Saleem
Production Company: Reliance Entertainment, Vibri Media, Kabir Khan Films, KA Productions, Nadiadwala Grandson Entertainment, Phantom Films
Kent Locations Used: The Historic Dockyard Chatham, Nevill Cricket Ground Tunbridge Wells

’83 (2021) from Reliance Entertainment and Vibri Media recalls the events of one of India’s most defining sporting moments when in 1983, Kapil Dev, portrayed by Ranveer Singh (Kill Dil, Gully Boy) captains the Indian cricket team to their first ever World Cup victory.

Directed by Kabir Khan (Ek Tha Tiger, Kabul Express), ’83 also features Deepika Padukone (Om Shanti Om, Chennai Express) as Dev’s wife Romi, Jiiva (Kee, Mugamoodi) as Srikkanth and Saqib Saleem (Race 3, Dil Junglee) as Amarnath.

The summer of 2019 saw production visit The Historic Dockyard in Chatham and The Nevill Cricket Ground in Tunbridge Wells. A scene depicting an altercation between two rivalling groups of cricket fans was filmed on Ropery Street at The Historic Dockyard, but we believe this did not make the final cut. Other Bollywood productions to have filmed here include Rustom (2016) and Pagalpanti (2019).

The Nevill Cricket Ground was used as itself, re-creating Kapil Dev’s famous score of 126 runs in a match against Zimbabwe on June 18th, 1983. To commemorate the historic sporting event, a plaque at the pavilion was unveiled by Kapil Dev, the film’s director Kabir Khan and actor Ranveer Singh.

From left to right, cricketer Kapil Dev, ’83 director Kabir Khan, and actor Ranveer Singh. The three pose for a photo in Nevill Cricket Ground. Dev has grey hair and a thick moustache, and wears a white button up shirt, blue suit trousers with a black belt, and black sunglasses which are hanging from his shirt. Khan has black hair and a short beard and wears a brown jacket with a navy-blue collar. Singh has black hair and a thick moustache and wears a white cricketer uniform, including a knitted white V-neck jumper.

Kapil Dev, Kabir Khan, and Ranveer Singh at Nevill Cricket Ground in Tunbridge Wells © Tunbridge Wells Cricket Club

The plaque at Nevill Cricket Ground in Tunbridge Wells which commemorates cricketer Kapil Dev’s performance at the 1983 Cricket World Cup. The plaque reads: ‘Kapil Dev and Royal Tunbridge Wells. To commemorate the historic innings of 175 by India’s Kapil Dev at the Cricket World Cup, here at the Nevill Ground, home of Tunbridge Wells Cricket Club, on June 18th, 1983. India went on to win the Cup. And more than a quarter of a century later, in Cricket World Cup year, to mark the filming on the same ground in July 2019, of a re-enactment of the innings which made Kapil a legend, as part of the Indian Sports’ drama film entitled ’83’, directed by Kabir Khan with Ranveer Singh playing the part of Kapil Dev.’

Plaque commemorating Kapil Dev at Nevill Cricket Ground, Tunbridge Wells © Tunbridge Wells Cricket Club

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tunbridge Wells, situated in Western Kent, was a fashionable spa resort in the mid-1700s, maintaining much of the stylish Georgian architecture including an entire period shopping street called The Pantiles. Recent productions to film in the area include Queens of Mystery (2020-2021) and The Royals (2016-2018).

Set on the River Medway The Historic Dockyard Chatham was once an active Royal Navy shipyard and is one of the most popular Kent filming locations, recent productions to film at the Dockyard include The Nevers (2021), Bridgerton (2020) and The Crown Series 1 – 6 (2016-2023).

’83 was released in UK cinemas on Thursday 23rd December 2021.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.