In 2019, actor Jatin Sarna met cricketer Yashpal Sharma in Dharamshala, where he was studying cricket with the cast and crew of Kabir Khan’s ’83’. Both men were excited to meet each other when Jatin was cast as Yashpal in the film. “I was extremely scared because I was afraid I wouldn’t fulfill his standards or do anything wrong,” Jatin says. The encounter, on the other hand, went well, and Sharma was pleased by the young actor. Jatin picked the experienced cricketer’s brain for the next seven days, and when they separated, they promised to see the film together.
Unfortunately, it isn’t going to happen right now. Yashpal Sharma died this morning after suffering a heart attack. “I’m taken aback. “He was such a Zinda-dil guy and an unsung hero,” a clearly disturbed Jatin Sarna adds, adding, “This is very terrible and unexpected.” He was named man of the match after scoring 89 against world champions West Indies in India’s opening match of the 1983 World Cup. Nobody thought this kid batsman would be able to defeat the titans. I always told him that this movie will reintroduce him and his work to the spotlight. It’s really unfortunate that he won’t be able to witness it.”
Jatin recalls the advice he received from the guy, saying, “I questioned him about everything, including the slightest aspects of his game, such as which foot he used to enter the ground first in his stride. He stated that he would never, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever He held it up in the air at all times. But it wasn’t just a case of copying. I wanted to imitate his enthusiasm for the game and commitment to the country, not simply his shots and gestures. That’s exactly who he was. “Haan, yahi Yashpal Sharma hai,” I wanted to imbue all of those traits in myself so that if someone who had seen him on the film said, “Haan, yahi Yashpal Sharma hai!”
The actor is upset that he won’t be able to see the film with the character he plays. He says to us, “I imagined him coming at the film’s premiere and escorting him to the theatre. When I appeared on television as him and sat next to him, I wanted to whistle and shout. I’ll do it anyhow, but he won’t be there. I won’t be able to observe how he reacts to everything. That is my bad luck.” The film ’83,’ directed by Kabir Khan and featuring Ranveer Singh as Kapil Dev, has been repeatedly postponed because of the COVID-19 epidemic and is now set to hit theatres later this year.
