800, the much-awaited biopic on legendary Sri Lankan spinner Muthaiah Muralidharan, is gearing up for a grand worldwide release on October 6. The film has Slumdog Millionaire actor Madhur Mittal playing Muralidharan, while young Malayalam actress Mahima Nambiar will also be seen in a crucial role.

In a latest interview while promoting the movie, Muralidharan said that he never thought of making a biopic on his life. “Directors Venkat Prabhu and MS Sripathy approached me with the idea of a biopic on my life and career and I gave the body after much deliberation. Vijay Sethupathi was supposed to play my role initially, but Madhur Mittal came on board later and did a fine job,” Muralidharan said.

Directed by MS Sripathy, 800 is titled after the world record feat by Muralidharan, who is the only cricketer in the history of the game to claim 800 international test wickets. Vivek Rangachari has bankrolled this prestigious project on Movie Train Motion Pictures banner, while senior producer Sivalenka Krishna Prasad is releasing the film’s Telugu version. Ghibran has composed the music.