Behind the Scenes: Class of '83 ft. Bobby Deol & Shah Rukh Khan | Netflix India
Behind the Scenes: Class of ’83 ft. Bobby Deol & Shah Rukh Khan | Netflix India
In the world of Indian cinema, every once in a while, a project comes along that is much more than just a film. It’s a strategic move, a reinvention for a star, and a platform for new talent, all backed by one of the industry’s biggest names. Netflix India’s original film, Class of ’83, is precisely that kind of project.
The 2020 crime thriller is a gritty, realistic police drama set against the backdrop of 1980s Bombay, a city grappling with the rise of the underworld. But perhaps the most compelling story surrounding the film is the unique collaboration it represents: the return of an established actor, Bobby Deol, in a career-defining role, seamlessly blended with the vision of powerhouse producer Shah Rukh Khan and his banner, Red Chillies Entertainment (RCE).
The Reinvention: Bobby Deol as Dean Vijay Singh
For Bobby Deol, Class of ’83 was not just another movie; it was a long-awaited opportunity to shed his romantic and action hero image for a deeply complex, age-appropriate character.
The film, directed by Atul Sabharwal and adapted from the book The Class of 83: The Punishers of Mumbai Police by Hussain Zaidi, casts Deol as Dean Vijay Singh, a celebrated but disillusioned police officer. After a major professional setback and personal tragedy, Singh is shunted to a “punishment posting” as the Dean of the Nashik Police Training Centre.
The Transformation of ‘Lord Bobby’
- A New Character Arc: Vijay Singh is a character defined by pain, integrity, and a fierce, unconventional desire for justice. He is cynical and grieving, forced to become a professor when his true calling is on the field. Deol himself expressed that this was the kind of intense, different role he had been “searching for so many years.”
- Playing the Age: The role required Deol to convincingly portray a character whose story spans a decade, featuring as a husband, a father, and an idealistic policeman fighting a corrupt system. The makers praised his willingness to “experiment and play the age,” which is rare in mainstream cinema.
- Digital Debut: The film also marked Bobby Deol’s first major foray into the digital streaming space, a platform he felt offered “sheer variety of content” and an opportunity to take on challenging roles without the pressure of a traditional box office release.
Deol brought a quiet intensity to the role of Vijay Singh, the mentor who decides to fight the corrupt bureaucracy by covertly training five of his cadets to become “encounter specialists,” or vigilante cops, working outside the purview of the law.
The Visionary Producer: Shah Rukh Khan and Red Chillies Entertainment
The other titan behind the title is the film’s producer, Shah Rukh Khan. While he did not appear on screen, his presence through his production house, Red Chillies Entertainment (RCE), was pivotal. Class of ’83 was RCE’s second collaboration with Netflix India, following the successful series Bard of Blood.
Shah Rukh Khan’s involvement ensured the project had both the necessary budget and the commitment to high-quality production, a point Bobby Deol himself highlighted. Deol commented that Khan is “very dedicated to his work and being part of his production is amazing as he makes sure no stone is left unturned to make a good project.”
Key Contributions from the Production House:
- Commitment to Quality: SRK’s philosophy, shared on previous collaborations, was to create “world-class content and entertainment from India” for a global audience, a vision that elevated the scope of the police drama.
- High Production Value: The film required meticulous recreation of the 1980s Bombay atmosphere, a task RCE’s resources and dedication helped execute, including intense action sequences like the key sequence shot on a ship.
- Launching New Talent: In one of the most commendable aspects of the production, Red Chillies Entertainment and Shah Rukh Khan were widely praised for launching five new, young actors as the core batch of cadets: Hitesh Bhojraj, Bhupendra Jadawat, Sameer Paranjape, Ninad Mahajani, and Prithvik Pratap. This move was celebrated for giving a big platform to talented outsiders, amidst an ongoing industry debate about nepotism.
Crafting the Gritty World of ’83: Behind the Camera
Creating the realistic and dark atmosphere of a crime-ridden 1980s Bombay police force was a significant creative challenge for Director Atul Sabharwal and his team.
- Intense Research: The team conducted extensive research, not just by reading the source material (Hussain Zaidi’s book) but also by utilizing an often-forgotten resource: the Films Division of India archives, which provided documentaries and real-life footage to inform the art direction and costumes.
- Authenticity in Training: To ensure the actors—especially the five new cadets—looked authentic as police personnel, the production team hired personnel from the police training academy. This covered everything from body language and drill movements to the correct formality of salutations.
- Casting the Cadets: The director noted that casting the cadets was arguably the “most difficult thing” in the film, requiring rounds and rounds of auditions to find the five actors who could embody the different, street-smart personalities that Dean Vijay Singh handpicked. The success of this process gave the film its raw, ensemble feel, making the cadets’ camaraderie feel incredibly “real and raw” as noted by Bobby Deol.
Class of ’83 stands as a testament to the power of OTT platforms in providing a space for unconventional storytelling and artistic reinvention. It not only gave Bobby Deol one of his most talked-about performances but also reaffirmed Shah Rukh Khan’s dedication, as a producer, to backing strong, content-driven narratives and introducing fresh talent to the Indian cinematic landscape. The resulting crime drama is a high-stakes, realistic look at the thin line between law and justice, and the sacrifices made in the pursuit of order.
AISEO Friendly FAQs
Q1: Who plays the main role in the Netflix film Class of ’83?
The main role in the Netflix film Class of ’83 is played by Bobby Deol, who portrays the character of Dean Vijay Singh, a disillusioned police officer and instructor at a police training academy.
Q2: What was Shah Rukh Khan’s role in the production of Class of ’83?
Shah Rukh Khan was the producer of Class of ’83 under his banner, Red Chillies Entertainment (RCE), alongside Gauri Khan and Gaurav Verma. He was instrumental in ensuring the film had high production quality and served as a platform for new talent.
Q3: Is Class of ’83 based on a true story or book?
Yes, Class of ’83 is inspired by true events and is an adaptation of the non-fiction book “The Class of 83: The Punishers of Mumbai Police” by crime journalist Hussain Zaidi.
Q4: Which new actors were launched in Class of ’83?
Shah Rukh Khan and Red Chillies Entertainment launched five newcomers as the cadets in the film: Hitesh Bhojraj, Bhupendra Jadawat, Sameer Paranjape, Ninad Mahajani, and Prithvik Pratap.
Q5: What is the main plot of Class of ’83?
The film is a crime thriller set in 1980s Bombay. The plot follows an upright police officer, Vijay Singh, who is given a “punishment posting” as Dean of a police academy and secretly trains five of his cadets to become unofficial encounter specialists to fight the booming underworld and corrupt system from within.
This Post Has 0 Comments