The master of spin, Muttiah Muralidaran, was named the best Test Match bowler in 2002 by Wisden’s Cricketers Almanack. He was the first cricketer from Sri Lanka to be inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2017.
Actor Madhur Mittal is delighted to have landed this opportunity. He said: “It’s an honour to bring the story of a legend like Muralidaran on screen. We all know him as a cricketer, but there’s a lot in the film about him as a person who has beaten the odds to come up triumphant in life which will inspire generations of youngsters down the decades.”
The Tamil film, 800, is a sports drama that follows Murali’s rise to prominence as one of the greatest bowlers in history, taking the most wickets with an average of six each Test match.
The title of the movie refers to Murali’s Test cricket record for wickets taken.
Tamil, Hindi, and Telugu versions of M.S. Sripathy’s film “800” will be available.
Vijay Sethupathi was chosen to fill the shoes of the legendary cricketer before Madhur Mittal. He pulled out of the production, though, for reasons that are best known to the actor.
Sripathy remarked of his motivational inspiration, “‘800’ is not simply a story about Murali’s cricket career, but also a story of human courage. The movie tells the inspiring tale of a regular guy who, in spite of all the difficulties, overcame them to become a legend. Muttiah Muralidaran, a cricket star from a war-torn Sri Lanka who rose to become the greatest wicket-taker of all time, is depicted in the film “800” in all of his multifaceted glory. It is an inspiring and moving narrative of the underdog for those who are unfamiliar with cricket. It will reveal the real Murali to those who have followed his stormy career.
It’s interesting that Tamil Nadu is where Murali comes from. His grandparents were Indians who the British had sent to work on Sri Lanka’s tea plantations.
Despite all the controversy, Murali held the top spot among Test bowlers in the ICC player rankings for a record 1,711 days spanning 214 Test matches. In 2009, he defeated Gautam Gambhir at home in Colombo to surpass Wasim Akram’s 502 wicket total and establish a new ODI record.
This year will see the release of the movie, which Vivek Rangachari and Movie Train Motion Pictures both produced.
