Slumdog Millionaire actor Madhurr Mittal turns legendary Sri Lankan cricketer Muttiah Muralitharan in the trailer of 800, which promises to offer a never-seen-before insight into the off-spinner’s journey from being a marginalised Sri Lankan Tamil boy to an all-time cricketing great.

Dropped by Sony Music India on Tuesday, the three-minute-six-second-long trailer begins with news of a violent clash between the Tamils and Sri Lankan police in Jaffna. We then see glimpses of how a young Sri Lankan Tamil boy fights racial discrimination, chucking allegations and political forces to emerge as a successful cricketer.

“For someone who hails from a group of immigrant labourers, getting recognised as a citizen itself is difficult. Today, he has grown to a place where the whole nation is looking at him in awe,” actor Nassar’s character says in the trailer.

The video touches upon many sensitive topics — from the Sri Lankan civil war and the persecution of Sri Lankan Tamils to Murali’s infamous chucking controversy and the 2009 terror attack against the Sri Lankan cricket team. It also shows glimpses of Sri Lanka’s World Cup win in 1996.

Besides on-field drama, the trailer shows Murali meeting with Tamil Tiger’s leader Velupillai Prabhakaran to discuss a peace agreement. It highlights the socio-political scenario of Sri Lanka and Murali’s impact on the transformation of the nation.

Watch the trailer here:

The trailer was launched on Tuesday in Mumbai in the presence of legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and former Sri Lankan all-rounder Sanath Jayasuriya.

Directed by MS Sripathy and produced by Movie Train Motion Picture & Vivek Rangachari, the film also features Nassar. The title of the film is derived from Muralitharan’s record of 800 wickets in test cricket.

800 will arrive in theatres on October 6.