‘800’: The life of Muthiah Muralitharan

By Fauz Mohamed

The film ‘800,’ based on the life of Muthiah Muralitharan, widely regarded as one of the greatest spinners in the world, has commenced its screening in India. 

‘800’ was filmed in various locations, including Sri Lanka, India, and Australia. It was simultaneously released in 15 countries, such as Tamil Nadu, Sri Lanka, the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Middle East. Originally made in Tamil, ‘800’ has been dubbed in Sinhala and Telugu, and it includes English subtitles for wider accessibility.

The screenplay for the film ‘800’ was jointly written by Tamil Film Director M.S. Sripathi and Booker Award winner Shehan Karunathilake. The film was directed by Sripathi. Mathur Mittal, known for his role in the internationally acclaimed film ‘Slumdog Millionaire,’ portrayed the character of Muthiah Muralitharan in this film.

The film “800” tells a story of reconciliation and unity as it depicts the journey of a Tamil youth from a family of plantation owners who faced adversity when their business was burned down by a Sinhalese mob. Despite these challenges, the young man goes on to become one of the strongest players in the Sri Lankan cricket team and attains international fame. The film also highlights how all the players of the national cricket team, including Captain Arjuna Ranatunga, and the entire country came together in support of Murali when he faced accusations of illegal bowling action, without any discrimination based on religion or caste. 

Director Sripathi revealed that initially, Venkat Prabhu was supposed to direct the film, and he joined the project as an Assistant Director to work on the screenplay. However, there were some changes in the directorial role during the course of the film’s production, resulting in his directing the entire film.

Director Sripathi mentioned that Venkat Prabhu who was already known as a cricket filmmaker was inspired to make the film due to his childhood friendship with Murali’s wife. “We visited Sri Lanka in 2018 before we began to write the screenplay to conduct research,” he said. 

Director Sripathi had a personal connection to cricket, as he had dreamed of becoming a cricketer as a child and even played the sport during school. He mentioned that he could relate to Murali’s story, particularly the transition from a fast bowler to a spin bowler, which led him to readily accept the offer to direct the film after Venkat Prabhu’s departure to work on another project. Sripathi recalled being in awe of the numerous awards and accolades that the legendary cricketer had earned throughout his illustrious career.

“I felt it is truly a story that must be told. He has had a remarkable journey. But the challenge was condensing it into a film,” he said. 

According to Sripathi, this was truly a challenge as viewers would want to know correct information about his life. “Therefore I invited Shehan Karunathilake to join me in writing the screenplay,” he said. Sripathi said it helped him understand the Sri Lankan contexts of Muarli’s story and cultural nuances.

Sripathi noted that while Vijay Sethupathi was to portray Murali’s character the announcement became a political issue in Tamil Nadu leading to a change in casting. 

According to him, the decision to avoid political controversies was made by refraining from casting highly popular actors, as any actor selected would likely encounter issues related to politics.

“We first saw Sethupathy as we believed he most suited the character. However, when we considered Mathur it appeared he too was equally suited to portray Murali. He acted well and also had a good knowledge of cricket. It made our task easy,” he said. 

Sripathi said a bowling coach was also hired to train Mathur to help him replicate Murali’s bowling actions. 

While King Ratnam, a Sri Lankan film actor and director, was selected to portray the character of Arjuna Ranatunga, Sripathi explained that they utilised makeup and various techniques to make him resemble Ranatunge.

“Everyone should watch this movie because today we live in a world with pressing issues. Sectarianism, racism, political divisions, and religious divisions persist. There are numerous obstacles to overcome. This movie breaks down all those barriers,” Sripathi said. 

According to him, movie enthusiasts will have an opportunity to gain insights and learn valuable lessons from the movie ‘800’.

 “That is our hope. I believe our responsibility as artists is to remind society that countries, languages, and nations are all human constructs. The movie conveys that overcoming challenges is not difficult when one works hard and remains dedicated. I believe Murali’s story is something everyone should be aware of, and it’s a message that resonates with everyone,” he added.