Saqib Saleem admits calling Kabir Khan to get a role in 83: It has been a hustle

Not many know that actor Saqib Saleem messaged filmmaker Kabir Khan after seeing the first poster of 83. Thanks to his timely message, he landed the role of Mohinder Amarnath, who played a crucial role in India’s historic World Cup win.

In an exclusive chat with India Today Digital, the Crime Beat actor discussed how one needs to go the extra mile to achieve their goals. He shared that he has been hustling to get roles and has never shied away from calling filmmakers and casting directors for work.

“Even after being around for 15 years here, I send out cold messages every morning to people in the industry. And it has translated to something meaningful, as it did with 83,” he recalled.

Saqib shared that he first saw the announcement of 83—with Ranveer Singh playing Kapil Dev—on the front page of a newspaper one morning.

“As a cricket lover, I was very happy and excited about it. However, it dawned on me that the film was not a biopic of Kapil Dev but about the 1983 World Cup win. The first thing I wondered was who was playing Amarnath, who was such a pivotal part. So, I sent a message to Kabir sir saying, ‘Hi, I am Saqib, and I want to come and meet you.’ He was kind enough to reply instantly and said he knew me and that we should meet. Then we soon got into look tests and cricket tests, and everything fell into place. And that’s how I happened to do the film,” he added.

When asked why he specifically wanted to play Amarnath and not any other player in the 83 squad, Saqib said, “I wanted to essay Jimmy Sir’s part because, as a cricket fan, I understand his contribution to the ’83 victory. To be the Man of the Match in both the semi-finals and the finals is the ultimate glory for a cricketer. That is what you dream of when you are growing up. I knew for a fact that it was going to be a great role, and hence, I specifically reached out to Kabir Khan for it.”

On a final note, the Race 3 actor added that everything in his career has been a hustle. “No one has ever come and said, ‘Yeh lo, yeh script aapke liye hai’ (Here’s this script for you). I am quite besharam (shameless) that way, and this is how I have got work. When I came to Mumbai from Delhi, I knew most people would always say no to me. But I had to wait for someone to say that one yes. Thus, I needed to keep knocking on doors, with the hope that someone would let me in.”

Also starring Saba Azad, Rahul Bhat, Rajesh Tailang, and Sai Tamhankar, Crime Beat is streaming on ZEE5.