Director Kabir Khan on getting Deepika Padukone onboard 83: “I would have gone to her even if she wasn’t married to Ranveer Singh”

83 director Kabir Khan, in a new interview, talked about Deepika Padukone’s role in the film, headlined by her better half Ranveer Singh. The 36-year-old actor plays the role of Kapil Dev in 83 while Deepika has been cast as the cricket legend’s better half, Romi Bhatia. 83 marks Ranveer and Deepika’s first movie together after their wedding in 2018.

Kabir explained in the interview that his choice to rope in Deepika for 83 wasn’t influenced by the fact that she’s wedded to Ranveer. In any case, he added that watching the real-life pairs as onscreen couples works well as a marketing strategy.

Talking to Indian Express, Kabir Khan said: “Her casting has nothing to do with Ranveer. Yes, today, as a marketing campaign it’s a thing to talk about. It’s a real-life couple coming together for the first time after marriage. However, I would have gone to Deepika even if she was not married to Ranveer. I have admired her over the years and she is a fantastic actor, with such an amazing presence. Romi Dev’s character does not have a lot of screentime but it’s very significant. The energy that Romi brings was much needed. When I met Kapil and Romi a few years back, I realised that he is incomplete without her. And if that is the current mood, I am sure that would have been the case years back. The 1983 journey would have been incomplete without her presence in Kapil Dev’s life.”