MUMBAI, November 15: For once, Film City played host to some real heroes. They were the 1983 world champions of cricket, who had assembled to revive the spirit of the heroics displayed on that heady evening of June 25, at the Mecca of Cricket Lord's 15 years ago. Barring the Little Master Sunil Gavaskar and all-rounder Kirti Azad, the entire cast of the Prudential World Cup winning team was present for the shoot of a one-minute film, conceived as a morale-booster for the Indian team that will compete in the 1999 World Cup.The occasion was a trip down nostalgia for most of the team members, who had come together as a unit after a prolonged period of time. They teased each other, indulged in mock-fights, exchanged anecdotes and pulled each other's leg as they underwent the two-day shoot which concluded today at the Goregaon film-base.Among the scenes canned today were Kapil Dev popping champagne to a riotous cheer from team-mates Krishnamachari Srikkant, Mohinder Amarnath, Yashpal Sharma, Sandeep Patil,Dilip Vengsarkar, Ravi Shastri, Syed Kirmani, Roger Binny, Madan Lal, Sunil Valsan and Balwinder Singh Sandhu, all of whom had donned the Indian blazer. The settings at the garden had the Indian tri-colour motif, with large vases, pillars and an Ashoka chakra painted in shades of saffron, green and white.``Oh, it was great fun,'' exclaimed Dilip Vengsarkar, reflecting on the occasion. ``Though we keep interacting with each other quite often, it was difficult to believe it has been 15 long years since we met as a team. And you know, everybody appears quite fit,'' he added with a chuckle.``It is fantastic. All of us look forward to such occasions. It is difficult to convey the love and affection that is prevalent during the reunion, where we keep refreshing old memories,'' remarked Balwinder Singh Sandhu.Sandhu informed that the film extends good wishes to the Indian team for the World Cup to be staged in England in May next year. ``It is a message of self-belief to the present Indian team, saying, wehave done it in 1983 and you too can win the World Cup. That the World Cup is again being held in England makes it more significant,'' he said.For Bollywood cinematographer Samir Arya, who was filming sportspersons for the first time, it was a memorable experience. ``They are a bunch of cool dudes. I've yet to come across such a bundle. They were so warm.''When asked whether there was anybody who impressed him during the shoot, Arya replied: ``They were all camera-friendly. It came naturally to them. Basically, it is a candid shoot where they mingle and needle each other.'' For one, who has played a part in the production of Bollywood flicks Duplicate and Koyla, Arya says this assignment came as a `welcome break.' ``It is a pity that it lasted just two days,'' he laments.Arya wasn't the only one to emerge with ever-lasting memories. Light boy Mohammad Hamid and his colleagues managed to procure autographs of their famous heroes on their caps which they flaunted with pride.
