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The pitch was set for a blockbuster release for 83. It was expected that April 2020 when cricket fever is at its peak in India would have been the ideal backdrop for the Ranveer Singh-Deepika Padukone starrer that relives the story of India lifting the Prudential Cricket World Cup in England in 1983. The coronavirus googly though threw plans into disarray. Once hailed as "the most awaited movie of 2020,” the production team has now been compelled to wait… for cinema houses around the world to open up again.
Among the many Indian feature films to be shot in the UK, "83 probably had the biggest budget,” revealed London based Cyrus Patel who as UK line producer for the movie was required to coordinate myriad factors for director Kabir Khan "to deliver his vision.” The biopic portrays Kapil Dev, the erstwhile captain of the Indian cricket team, as a young underdog winning the World Cup against all odds when playing the formidable West Indies.
Working for nearly two years on this "massive feature film on cricket,” including the 90-day shoot in England, Patel had arranged for the backdrop of some of the most iconic stadiums in England including the Lord’s and Oval in London, Nevill Ground at Royal Tunbridge Wells in Kent, Edinburgh Cricket Club in Scotland. A line producer, Parsiana learnt, is responsible for managing the prescribed budget and overseeing all operations and logistics for a film. In tandem with the producer, a line producer creates a shooting schedule and hires professionals to take charge of photography, design, location, sound, editing…
 "Apart from the Nevill Ground all the other venues have changed considerably since 1983 so we made extensive use of CGI (computer-generated imagery or 3D computer graphics) to take the viewer back in time,” Patel was quoted in theguardian.com on April 5, 2020. "Lord’s couldn’t have been more welcoming to us and over four days in August 2019 we were able to film in the dressing rooms and in the Long Room,” he informed the British daily. To ensure the action was "as close to international standard as possible,” even the cricketers chosen for the film were of "extremely high caliber,” added Patel. To replicate the feel of London in the 1980s, some of the street and hotel scenes were shot in Glasgow.

 

 

 

 

 

Founder director of Eastern Vibes Production Limited, 38-year-old Patel who is now regarded as one of the leading line producers for foreign films being shot in the UK and overseas has worked on Bollywood movies like The Accidental Prime Minister, Tezz, Baar Baar Dekho, Teri Meri Kahani as also other titles like Born a King, 1920 London. Among his various functions as line producer, keeping the budget within control can lead to a "lot of stress,” admitted Patel in an interview with Parsiana in end December 2019. If the shoot does not proceed as per schedule, in one day the producer "could lose GBP 30,000 to 100,000 (Rs 26,43,008 to Rs 88,10,025).”
Required "to coordinate with 15 to 20 actors” when shoots are in progress, Patel stated that "managing egos and creative people” is another challenge. He and his core team from Eastern Vibes are additionally responsible for the crew that could vary between 100 to 500 professionals depending on the location. He gave credit to his "experienced, proficient team that works in sync, being familiar with each other’s working style.” Confidence in their abilities empowers him to undertake larger projects each time. "It’s people management at the end of the day.” With the dynamics changing constantly, it is akin to "firefighting almost every day but that’s what you are there for. You wake up to something new every day,” he noted.
"Filmmaking is an art, not science,” reiterated Patel who has worked his way up in the film industry from being a production coordinator to production controller and now line producer. Miss Lovely, directed by Ashim Ahluwalia in Bombay, offered a fortuitous break for the youngster in 2009. "The film did well internationally. It went to Cannes…After a struggle for some years you find your space. You see what you are good at and stick with it.” Among the 30 films he has been associated with are titles like Phantom, Cocktail, Namaste England. Another blockbuster released last year, Born a King, depicted the coming of age story set in 1919 of the Arab Prince Faisal. In 2020 Patel was due to work on four films. The lockdown though compelled his team to "miss out on prep work for one project with another project being pushed back towards the end of the year. Hopefully we will make up for lost time and be able to handle all the projects that come our way,” he continued to be optimistic.
His assignments have taken him to different parts of the globe where he has had opportunities to interact "with 15 different nationalities, cast and crew… cool, interesting people.”  He values his diverse contacts, from Oscar winners to talented make-up artists and costume designers, from the historical advisor to The Crown who was brought in for the Netflix series on the reign of Queen Elizabeth II, to air force commanders who were required to authenticate military tanks used in past wars.
As compared to earlier days, currently "the film industry is a lot more organized,” observed Patel, ranking Hollywood at the top, followed by the UK. "Indian feature films are getting bigger; producers are getting younger,” mentioned the popular line producer. Working in Saudi Arabia "was a privilege. It is a country going forward,” he remarked. To create vanity vans for actors, 15 make-shift vehicles were built from scratch, he related his experience.
While most of the line producers tend to be males, the domain of make-up and costume sees more females. With the camera now moving on a dolly, more women are entrusted with work on photography and lights. The Me Too movement, says Patel, "was required to correct sexual harassment.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyone interested in making a career in films "wants to be an actor or director” initially. Patel too had similar dreams when after 12 years at Bombay’s Cathedral and John Connon School, he joined Richmond, University in London because "I wanted to do something creative. I did a lot of theater, acted in over 60 plays. My first love was theater but when I was out of college, it was hard to make a career in theater… Ultimately, you realize you have to do something to make a living.”
He temporarily shifted base from London to New York. Starting his career working in the sales team for MGM (Metro Goldwyn Mayer) from their Richmond offices, he proceeded to work in New York, India, Saudi Arabia and other parts of Europe. Sundry production jobs like ticketing, marketing, making programs for international film festivals…were pursued initially before he started assisting with commercials, television serials and feature films.
Having qualified from Richmond in theater arts and even business administration (on the insistence of his father Homi), in hindsight Cyrus appreciates that this strong foundation has helped him make inroads in the industry where he needs an amalgam of film and commercial skills. He acknowledges that Firuzi Khan has been "very supportive of me from the start and has given me a chance in the industry and been a mentor to me in a lot of ways.” A chartered accountant  by profession, Khan offers financial consultancy and services to Bollywood producers shooting in the UK.
"It’s taken a while to get here so I don’t want to lose that,” stated Cyrus who is devoted to his career. The demands of the film industry require him to "work very hard, 14 to 18 hours a day, six days a week.” Since filming continues even in extreme weather conditions, "it is business throughout the year.” The bachelor is repeatedly advised to take time off by his parents Homi and Roshan but maintains, "I love what I am doing.”  With one project leading to another, "it has a snowball effect.”
"The number of Parsis (in the film industry) I have interacted with over the years I can probably count on one hand,” said Cyrus. In 83, actor Boman Irani portrays yesteryear wicketkeeper/commentator, the flamboyant Farrokh Engineer. Cyrus had even interacted with Irani during the shooting of Tezz in 2010. "The mentality in India is to trust Parsis,” confirmed Cyrus, believing it has helped the community come a long way. 
"I am very fortunate to be a part of this community,” he affirmed. He candidly announced that he is "very liberal,” and although he visits the fire temple on every trip to Bombay, he believes that "doing good deeds is much more important than wearing the sudreh kusti.” He aspires "to make a documentary on the community one day that will show Parsis in a great light.”