‘800’: Makers release motion poster for Muttiah Muralitharan’s biopic as cricketer turns 51 (WATCH)

New Delhi: As veteran Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan celebrates his 51st birthday, makers have released the first look of his biopic ‘800’. ‘Slumdog Millionaire’ fame Madhurr Mittal will be seen in the role of the legendary off-spinner. Sony Music South took to its Twitter handle to share the first motion poster of the film.

The film is directed by MS Sripathy, the film follows the journey of the Sri Lankan spinner to pick up 800 Test wickets, a feat that was not achieved before and no one could come close thereafter.

The motion poster shows a stadium, a cricket ball and Muralitharan’s face emerging with a reflection of stumps with bails flying cast on it. Madhurr Mittal is shown in Muralitharan’s trademark French-cut beard style with a little smirk.

MUTHIAH MURALIDARAN BIOPIC: FIRST LOOK POSTER… WILL RELEASE IN 3 LANGUAGES… #MadhurrMittal – who won acclaim for his performance in the #Oscar-winning film #SlumdogMillionaire – will play legendary cricketer #MuthiahMuralidaran in his biopic, titled 800 [#800TheMovie].

Motion… pic.twitter.com/zCvfDHXJ0R

— taran adarsh (@taran_adarsh) April 17, 2023

Actor Madhurr also shared the poster and wrote that he feels grateful to get an opportunity to play the role of the legend.

The makers announced the film in 2020 with Vijay Sethupathi in the lead role, but they faced a backlash from the Tamil community and Sethupathi opted out of the film. The cricketer was heavily critisised for supporting the Sri Lankan government of Gotabaya Rajapaksa, during the civil war with the LTTE. He cleared his stand on the matter and said that he never treated Eelam Tamils with disrespect and that he is also of Tamil origin.

While the makers have not announced the release date, the film is set to release in 2023 in Tamil, Telugu and Hindi.

Muttiah Muralitharan holds the record for most Test wickets and most ODI wickets in a career with 800 Test scalps and 534 wickets in ODIs.