Madhurr Mittal on playing Muttiah Muralidaran in the biopic '800'

One doesn’t know if the two Ms in the two names have anything to do with it, but Madhurr Mittal, best known for playing the main antagonist in Danny Boyle’s Slumdog Millionaire, has finally bagged the role he has been waiting for.

Mittal plays legendary cricketer Muttiah Muralidaran in a biopic titled 800, written and directed by MS Sripathy, it will release in Tamil, Hindi and Telugu.

The original choice for the role was the iconic Tamil actor Vijay Sethupathi. But he backed out after some of Muralidaran’s controversial speeches on the Tamil ethnic identity were uncovered.

Madhurr Mittal was chosen for his talent and his physical resemblance to the cricketer.

Madhurr says, “Firstly, there's a lot of gratitude. I've been grinding it out for almost 25 years in the industry now, so it's gratifying to finally have my first movie as a solo lead.”

Madhur realises the enormity of the honour given to him to play Muralidaran. “The magnitude of responsibility one has while portraying a real-life legend like Mr. Muralidharan is not lost on me. Add to it the fact that 800 is much more than just a sports film. It's also a character study. Now this makes it a really potent mix for an actor famished for challenges. So yes, I'm an eager beaver right now!”

Madhurr is agog as to audiences’ reaction. “Looking forward to the release so people can see me do something they've never seen or maybe even expected from me before. Exciting times ahead for me,” he said.