November 16, 2023
The Rohit Sharma-led Indian Cricket Team has reached the finals and the country is thrilled and praying for their final match on November 19, 2023.
I am not a big cricket fan, nor have in-depth knowledge of the game. In December 2021, I watched 83- A movie by Kabir Khan based on the Cricket World Cup, 1983. The movie was released on OTT platforms in March 2022; since then, I have watched this movie 100s of times, which is not normal. :)
Whenever I have some time, I would feel like watching it. Every time I watched this movie, I used to have tears in my eyes, and I would feel so motivated that I would get a rush of positive energy. It got me wondering: What is that about? I have never watched a movie more than twice. And I clearly understood it wasn't only about cricket. I sat down thinking about what impacted me so beautifully and thought of sharing what hooked me to this movie 100 times–
1. The best revenge is improved performance –
How would you react if someone disrespects you? You can get angry, fight, be sad or demand respect. None of this will help you, as others' behaviour is beyond your control. The more you focus on these reactions, the more you drift away from your goal. Whenever you feel angry, your focus shifts from productivity to proving someone wrong. The best revenge is improved performance.
Team India was given a pass to all the stadiums in England except Lord's, where the finals were supposed to be played. Though it was sheer disrespect, they didn't fight. They just made it to the finals.
2. Confidence comes from determination; determination comes from deciding—
In the movie, Kapil Dev, our Captain, played by Ranveer Singh, couldn't speak fluent English, but his replies were humble and confident. In a press conference before the matches began, when asked by journalist Frith about the chances of the Indian team, his confident answers in broken English were so profound.
Frith: "What do you think are your team's chances in the World Cup?"
Our Captain: "We here to win."
And the reporters get a chuckle since India had never won a single match in the World Cup before, let alone the Cup, and he asks again, "To win the World Cup?"
Our Captain: "What else we here for?" He replies humbly.
Making a decision might be confusing, fearful, and challenging many times. We all have felt that at some time in our lives. And we know if we pursue it, we can decide. Take your time, but decide, 'What do you want?' This is the most critical question to answer. If you cannot decide, someone else will decide for you, and you might not like their decision. Seeking expert help to explore options to decide important things in life can be a eureka moment in your life.
3. One motivating statement by an important person can be life-changing—
When Kapil was asked by Mr Man Singh, the team manager, about how he could respond so confidently when asked difficult questions by the journalists about the chances of India in the World Cup. Kapil said I learned that from my mother. She always said one thing to me: "bas jeet ke ana beta!" (Win and come back, son) "No, best of luck! Just win."
4. Use demotivating remarks of others as steppingstones for your success—
When mocked by journalists in their newspapers that India reached the semifinals by fluke, the team gets agitated and asks Kapil to give a statement. He says, "Let's not give any statement. My English is not good, and everyone laughs at me when I try to speak. Let our game be the response." Meanwhile, he shows them what he does with those newspapers, i.e., clean his shoes' soles.
5. Definiteness of purpose is the best preparation for a catastrophe—
After 2 wins and 2 losses, India faced Zimbabwe for the second time in the tournament. This was a do-or-die situation for India to stay in the game. Kapil had to rush to bat, though he was 5th in the batting lineup. The team score was 9 runs for 4 wickets. He was confused on the ground but started playing, and the onslaught began when they were 17 for 5. He ends up breaking a world record of 171 runs by Glenn Turner. He took India to 266 for 8 and finished with an historic 175, not out. He proved that there's hope while he is still out there. His purpose throughout the tournament was loud and clear.
His world record was recently broken by Glenn Maxwell in the ongoing World Cup 2023 after 40 years.
6. You don't need to fit in because you were born to stand out—
We all get so occupied in our lives that we react to situations in a conditioned way, and we tend to forget our more significant purpose. Bowler Sandhu's engagement was called off before their semifinal match. He was sad, and that was visible in his performance. Our Captain reminds him of their bigger purpose: to play for the country. He says, "No one knows or cares what's happening in our personal life. But whatever we'll do on the ground today will be linked to our names forever. This one day will never return. Victory or loss should reflect only on the scoreboard, not in our eyes."
It's easy to fit in by feeling sad, angry, irritated, or rejected when something goes wrong because that is what we have learned growing up. But how long you want to be in that state must be your choice. You can choose 5 mins or 5 years. Choose what empowers you, what makes you feel alive.
Stand out! That's what all of us are here for!
I also noticed that when most of the team had a beer bottle in their hands, Kapil was shown drinking milk from a glass bottle. He wasn't fitting in. :)
7. Your well-wishers might be harsh at times—
After their 5th match against Zimbabwe, Kapil pushes Roger Binny to play better, and he feels embarrassed in front of the team and gets upset. In their next match against Australia, Binny takes 4 crucial wickets. India wins by a huge margin of 118 runs, reaching the semifinals.
In his short speech after winning the 'Man of the Match' title for that match, Roger Binny says, "This is for my team and for my Captain!"
8. To inspire people, one needs to believe in them—
It hardly matters what words you use to inspire someone if you don't say it with genuine feelings and belief in their capabilities. Many times, words are not needed; our gestures are enough.
In the finals, against mighty West Indies, Madan Lal asked for another over after getting smashed by Viv Richards in his last over. Kapil was hesitant but gave him another over, and he got Viv Richards out.
His favourite lines, and mine too, to inspire the team in the movie- "Like people says, Taste the success once, tongue want more!"
9. Remind yourself and your team of the GOAL, more so during challenging times—
After winning two consecutive matches, India faces Australia, who puts a difficult task in front of India by scoring a massive 320 runs to chase. The Indian team was already low, as if they had accepted the defeat. A player says, "We will not lose easily." And Kapil says, "We must win." The Captain did lead by example in that match, but India eventually lost by a huge margin of 162 runs.
10. Remember to have fun while moving towards your goal—
They cried, fought, made fun and stood up for each other. They got emotional multiple times, and they played for the love of the game. By doing all this, India rose to the occasion and surprised the world by reaching the World Cup Finals at Lord's and eventually winning the World Cup 1983 for the first time.
11. Songs can have lasting impressions on our lives—
I have always appreciated the depth of understanding of the emotions of the songwriters while I listen to the lyrics of the songs. My brain also connects cricket and every sport with patriotism and pride because of all the flags flying in the air, people wearing t-shirts and other accessories with their country's names and flags on them, and the songs played on the ground. The soundtrack of 83 is composed by Pritam, and it has heart-warming songs like Lehra do, Bigadne de, Jitega jitega and Ye hausle
As I mentioned earlier, I'm neither a big fan nor have in-depth knowledge of the game. This article is my tribute to this beautiful movie and all the people who created it, the impact it made in my life and might help you in yours. Please let me know your views in the comments section.
Cheers,
Anupma
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