We didn't want a Muralitharan look-alike'

In 2020, a biopic on legendary Sri Lankan spinner Muttiah Muralitharan was announced. Vijay Sethupathi was to headline the film, but following outrage from Tamil nationalists, a few film personalities and politicians in Tamil Nadu, the actor decided to opt out. Subsequently, the makers chose Madhur Mittal of Slumdog Millionaire fame to reprise Murali on the screen.

The biopic has been titled 800 as a tribute to Murali’s 800 Test wickets.

We asked the film’s director MS Sripathy how challenging it was to find someone to portray arguably one of the greatest spinners of all time. He acknowledged that it was indeed tough. “We didn’t want a Murali look-alike or someone who emulates him. We wanted an actor who can bring out his spirit and emotions,” the director explained, adding that he wanted the audience to relate to the character.

Several names were discussed, and many auditions held before they eventually zeroed in on Madhur Mittal.

While putting in the caveat that in biopics, without appropriate make-up, the character doesn’t look convincing, Sripathy said, “Madhur has done a fantastic job. He has lived the character. He worked hard to look convincing and authentic. His body language and gestures are quite similar to that of Murali.” And Madhur’s experience of being part of the sports drama Million Dollar Arm came in handy.

Sripathy did extensive research on the life of Muralitharan. Apart from meeting the spin wizard, he also met his family members, friends, relatives and also fellow cricketers to understand his personality. While research on Murali’s life itself took six months, Sripathy, along with another writer Shehan Karunatilaka, worked for another one year on the script.

While 800 was shot in Chennai, Cochin, Sri Lanka, Australia and England, Sripathy revealed that shooting in Sri Lanka was challenging. “We were filming the biopic during the 2022 riots. But people were very cooperative. We shot for around two months, and the love and support we got from the people was very gratifying,” he added.

Muralithan shared his inputs and his suggestions were invaluable, the director acknowledged. “Murali hasn’t seen the full footage but we showed him the trailer of the film, and he was very excited. Even his wife liked it,” Sripathy shared.

During his interactions with Murali, Sripathy observed quite a few things. “I realised that apart from his talent, it takes mental strength to be a Murali,” revealed the director, who himself is a big fan of Murali. “I am happy with the way the film has turned out; it’s on a huge scale and we were on top of our game throughout,” he said, adding that he was sure 800 would serve as an inspiration for future generations.

When we asked the director to name some highlights of the biopic, he said there were several identity crises in Murali’s personal and professional life and the film focuses on how he fought them successfully. “The film is more than about cricket; it’s about Murali’s journey and his struggle for identity in both personal and professional life,” he emphasised. “In cricket, time and again Murali had to prove his identity. Remember the incident when he was called ‘chucker’ in Australia! Even in his personal life, he had to prove his identity during the civil war in Sri Lanka. Although he was born there, he had Tamil roots, and his wife is from Tamil Nadu,” he added.  

Sripathy said directing the film was one his greatest experiences in life. “It’s been a great journey, and I have learnt a lot. I see life differently now,” he shared, adding that he had learnt to face problems constructively.