Both Sri Lankan cricketers and cinema have come together to play an important role in 'Victory', the first film to be made entirely on a cricket story. World renowned Sri Lankan cricketers Sanath Jayasuriya, Muttiah Muralitharan, Mahela Jayawardena, Kumar Sangakkara, Chaminda Vaas and Dilhara Fernando will join the squad with other international cricketers Mohinder Amarnath, Nathan Astle, Allan Border, Stuart Clark, Brad Hogg, Mike Hussey, Simon Jones, Brian Lara, Brett Lee, Sajid Mahmood, Craig McMillan, Navjot Singh Sidhu, Daryl Tuffey and Ishant Sharma who will make cameo appearances in the film. Among the team, Brett Lee is to play a more prominent role with a playback song by him.

On behalf of Sri Lankan side, leading international film production company Film Location Services led by filmmaker and producer Chandran Rutnam will handle the production here.

Sri Lankan cricketers to play in the movie

Starting from Tamil Union Ground (The Oval) Borella last Thursday, the shooting of the film is now on in locations in and around Colombo including Indoor Nets at Battaramulla, Trans Asia Hotel, Cinnamon Grand and few other places in Colombo.

Speaking to the TV Times, filmmaker Ratnum said "We are happy to be a part of this production as this is the first film to be done entirly on a cricketer story,". In addition, the contribution made by the world renowned cricketers would add colour and quality to this film, Ratnam, a great cricket fan himself added.

‘Victory' centres around a father who dreams his young son will rise from a small village in Rajasthan to play cricket for India and it shows how the son becomes an acclaimed cricketer of national-level to fulfil his father's dreams. And it started shooting to coincide with India's four-Test tour to Australia.

Victory is the directorial feature debut of leading Bollywood Director Ajit Pal and is being produced by Vivek Aggarwal and Ajit Pal for Victory Films India.

‘It's a film on the life of any modern day cricketer who plays for the national side. It's a story of a small town boy from Jaisalmer who has nurtured the dream of playing for India. How he finally succeeds in making it to the Indian team’ director had told the media.

Brett Lee playing his guitar and singing in ‘Victory’

"I wanted to do a Bollywood movie. I am very proud to say that I had a chance. I got amazing people to work with who helped me day-to-day. It's been an awesome experience," Brett Lee said speakng about his role in the film earlier.

I think, Brett Lee is the biggest attraction of the movie. People will be interested to the movie initially for this mega star of today's cricket, the director said.

Victory is expected to be a box office hit in cricket crazy India and it also could be a potential market in Australia as well because of the presence of Brett Lee and some other Australian cricketers in the movie.

The film is to be released in November 2008 worldwide and Chandran Rutnam said that the film will also be released in Sri Lanka at the end of this year.