Manoj Bajpayee spoke to Ananya Sharma about his role in Budhia Singh — Born to Run and how the character inspired him
From being known as the marathon boy at the age of four to now being a regular 14 - year - old student at DAV Public school, Bhubaneswar, this is Budhia Singh for you all. The four - year - old Budhia burst into the limelight in 2006 and entered the limca Book of Records by running the whole of 65 km from Puri to Bhubaneswar. While Budhia became a legend, his coach Biranchi Das became the eye of a controversy as he was accused of exploiting the child for money and recognition.
The film Budhia Singh - Born to Run is not just another sports biopic.Was Biranchi ambitious or altruisticIJ An answer that veteran actor Manoj Bajpayee attempts in the film. “I try to do films with subjects that can touch the audience. Subjects which no one has ever heard about or experienced,” said Bajpayee.
The film is a lot more than just about Budhia who comes from a challenged background and finds support from his coach, Biranchi. It’s also about how all of this turns into a tragedy which makes it a story that deserves to be heard.
“About nine years ago, I followed Budhia Singh and Biranchi Das’s story completely. I used to surf all news channels just to be updated with this. Many opinions were formed about Biranchi Das. However, according to me, Biranchi Das was someone who was least understood by everyone,” shared the actor.
On being asked how important is it to have a mentor, he said, “It is extremely important. Some people are lucky enough to have them but some people are not. A mentor’s role is to guide his followers and keep encouraging them. A mentor helps you through all the challenges and is there for you. But sadly, a very few of us can afford to say that we have a mentor,” answered Bajpayee.
The reel life Biranchi Das says that he is grateful to his mentors for spotting his talent and encouraging him to be an actor. He says it was his acting guru Barry John who believed in his dreams and passion.
Budhia Singh was taken away by the authorities from the care of his mentor Biranchi when he was four years old. For the past ten years, officials have made him study and also run sprints. Sadly, Budhia hasn’t excelled in either. Worse still, Biranchi Das was murdered in 2008.
Bajpayee recently met the real Budhia Singh and tells us that his passion is still the same. “His dream is to represent India in the 2020 Olympics. He needs a Biranchi Das in his life, once again,” said the actor.
“When the whole controversy of Budhia and Biranchi took place over nine years ago, I had told myself that if I ever got the chance to play Biranchi Das in a movie, I would do it without giving it a second thought,” he said.
“Today, Budhia Singh is 14 years old and if because of this film, he gets the right guidance and help that he needs to fulfill his dream of representing India at the Olympics, that would definitely be the biggest success for all of us,” said Bajpayee.