800 Movie Review 2023 : A dutiful biopic of Muthiah Muralitharan that could have done with more drama

800 The Movie: What’s Behind?

The Kollywood movie 800, which would chronicle the inspirational journey of Muthiah Muralitharan, a renowned cricket player from Sri Lanka, attracted a lot of attention when it was first announced. People were fascinated by his incredible rise to prominence in the world of cricket after experiencing various hardships in both his personal and professional lives. When the brilliant Makkal Selvan, Vijay Sethupathi, was selected in the lead role, the movie sparked even more interest. The project’s participation with Vijay Sethupathi raised interest and expectations.

However, a dispute over Muralitharan’s comments towards Tamils in Sri Lanka resulted in Vijay Sethupathi withdrawing from the movie. Despite this failure, the movie kept going with Madhur Mittal as its lead and Sripathy as its director.

On October 6th, “800” will be released in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi, and the anticipation among fans of both cricket and movies reached new heights when cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar himself presented the video. The Cricket God’s approbation of the movie increased viewers’ excitement and attention even more. Moviegoers are excited to see what “800” has to offer as the release date draws near and are hoping to see the remarkable and inspirational life story of Muthiah Muralitharan play out on the big screen.

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800 Movie: Artists Review

Muralitharan was portrayed by Madhur Mittal in a role that was nothing short of extraordinary, as he expertly and accurately brought the character to life. His performance was genuinely exceptional due to his command of facial expressions and emotions as well as nearly faultless body language. Mittal expertly displayed a variety of emotions, perfectly portraying Muralitharan’s challenges, anguish, and his great annoyance and wrath when faced with the accusations of being a “chucker.”

Nassar, Vela Ramamurthy, and King Ratnam, who played the journalist, father, and Sri Lankan captain Ranatunga, respectively, among the supporting cast, gave great performances. Mahima Nambiar, who played Muralitharan’s wife, only had a small part, but she made the most of it with an impressive performance.

800 (2023) Movie: Story Review

The captivating story of 800 centres on the journey of a willful young man named Muralitharan, who struggles to overcome obstacles in order to leave a lasting legacy as a cricketing sensation. In search of a better future, Madhur Mittal’s character Muralitharan moves with his parents to Sri Lanka and begins a journey that would change his life.

Even as his love for cricket grows, the internal unrest in the country brought on by the Sinhalese-Tamil war threatens to derail his ambitions. In this environment, Muralitharan faces several obstacles on his way to become a recognised off-spinner, including political meddling and prejudice within the Sri Lankan cricket squad.

Muralitharan is on the verge of giving up on his aspirations of playing cricket in favour of attending college overseas as the pressure grows. The crucial choice he makes, as well as the pivotal parts played by important characters such as Sri Lankan Captain Arjuna Ranatunga (portrayed by King Ratnam), Madhimalar (brought to life by Mahima Nambiar), a tenacious sports journalist (played by Nassar), and others, shape the engrossing turns and twists that constitute the remainder of this gripping story.

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800 Movie: Technicians Review

Sripathy and Shehan Karunatilaka worked together to create 800, with Sripathy starting the narration as Muralitharan teeters on the brink of accumulating the most number of wickets in history—800. Nassar takes over the narration to reveal Muralitharan’s challenges as the movie goes into his tough path.

Similar to films like MS Dhoni: The Untold Story,83 or Azhar, the plot, writing, and director of 800 follow the well-worn road of a biopic. However, it stands out thanks to its distinctive subject—a cricket player from Sri Lanka. Sripathy painstakingly investigates Murali’s turbulent youth, which is entwined with the Sinhalese-Tamil struggle, the war-ridden backdrop of Sri Lanka, and the early persecution he suffered. This is in keeping with Muralitharan’s claim that the movie will reveal the lesser-known elements of his personal life.

As Muralitharan struggles with being called a “chucker” by teams like Australia and England, which inspired other nations to follow suit, the first half of the movie is filled with passion. Although Sripathy skillfully combines politics and cricket, the story suffers from predictability.

Repeated sequences occur from the second half’s focus on Muralitharan’s unrelenting quest to establish his innocence. Unfortunately, the movie ignores Murali’s competition with other spinners of the time, such Saqlain Mushtaq and Shane Warne. Additionally, it omits Sri Lanka vs. India matches despite depicting Indian tailenders trying to frustrate Murali’s quest of his milestone wicket.

Many parts in the movie highlight the Sinhalese-Tamil conflict by showing Muralitharan’s discussions with LTTE leader Prabhakaran on violence and peace. The moving conversation that captures Murali’s frustration with always trying to be right resonates as a potent mirror of the outcome that “800” finally depicts.

The background music in the movie 800 by Gibhran is both calming and soul-stirring, bringing depth to the emotional landscape of the picture. His music expertly increases the narrative’s overall effect.

The scenic sights of Sri Lanka are captured in a natural and realistic manner by RD. Rajasekhar’s cinematography. His camera does an amazing job of capturing the spirit of the nation, giving the narrative a true setting.

When Sri Lanka plays against other nations in international cricket matches, the movie loses part of its audience appeal. These scenes fall short of the majesty and intensity one would anticipate from such crucial occasions. Instead, they come across as fairly underwhelming, more akin to club-level games than the crucial international contests they are intended to represent.

Although Praveen KL’s editing is excellent, there is still space for improvement, particularly with regard to eliminating the repetitious sequences that impede the film’s speed. The dialogues are adequate, but they don’t strike out as particularly noteworthy. The production values from Movie Train Motion Pictures are still excellent, adding to the show’s overall excellence.

Plus Points:

Muttiah Muralitharan, the renowned cricketer, is flawlessly portrayed by Madhur Mittal. Madhur gives a subtle performance that successfully draws the viewer into the story and character. The crowd responds positively to several of the sequences in the second half of the movie, especially those that reveal the truth about Muralitharan’s bowling action.

Certain emotional scenes are handled well. The rest of the performers do their jobs satisfactorily, but Nassar’s role is significant and he represents it wonderfully. Additionally, the Telugu dubbing is good.

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Minus Points:

A well-known story’s appeal, particularly one concerning a well-known person, is heavily reliant on its captivating narrative. This is especially important for biopics, and it is here that the filmmaker, M.S. Sripathy, fails to make an impact that will stay.

Typically, audiences want a more in-depth investigation of events they are already acquainted with from a variety of sources. There are a lot of such occurrences in Muttaih Muralitharan’s life in the case of 800. Unfortunately, the filmmaker fails to engage the viewer on an emotional level while showing them.

The screenplay had the potential to be more skillfully written, offering several opportunity to enhance various situations that were regrettably passed over, making for a less memorable biography. Ghibran bears responsibility for the musical score’s shortcomings since he neglected to deepen the emotional impact of several crucial passages.

800 The Movie: Rating Analysis

The entire 800 acts as a moving depiction of cricketer Muralitharan’s harrowing ascent from mediocrity to fame. Muralitharan’s personal qualities are explored in Sripathy’s writing, going beyond simply highlighting his cricketing prowess. Muralitharan’s attempts to provide aid to LTTE-controlled regions and his passionate talks with LTTE leader Prabhakaran serve as examples of this in his capacity as a UN Ambassador. The complicated Sinhalese and Tamil conflict is handled delicately in the movie. Despite these admirable attempts, the narrative and direction frequently go a similar path.

The picture may have reached greater heights with some screenplay revision and possibly a star actor in the lead role. This is not meant to take away from Madhur Mittal’s performance, who gives a strong performance. With all of these considerations in mind, Cinejosh gives 800 a 2.5.

Conclusion

“800” is an extraordinary film that tells the powerful and inspiring story of the Chinese Volunteer Army’s defense of the Sihang Warehouse during the Battle of Shanghai in 1937. Directed by Guan Hu, this war epic brings to life the bravery and resilience of a group of soldiers who faced overwhelming odds but refused to surrender. The film masterfully captures both the intensity of battle scenes and the emotional journey of its characters, with exceptional performances from its cast. With its stunning cinematography, gripping storytelling, and heartfelt portrayal of heroism, “800” is a must-see film that pays tribute to the indomitable spirit of those who fought for their country.

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