Budhia Singh: Born To Run - Movie Review

Budhia Singh - Born To Run
U; Biopic
Dir: Soumendra Padhi
Cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Mayur Patole
Rating:

There's a scene when Budhia Singh is almost dehydrated and begs for water. His coach, Biranchi Das, instead of quenching his thirst, goads him to continue running and finish the marathon. He keeps dangling the water bottle in front of him and then pulls it away. This, in turn, makes Budhia sprint faster to get to the finish line. Was coach Biranchi exploiting the boy or was it a strategy to clock a good timing?

The film will warm the cockles of your heart despite a few flaws

The biopic keeps it raw and real, close to the true life of Budhia. The kid keeps running not bothering where it will take him, but the coach has set a target in mind - the Olympics. Budhia became Odisha's overnight sensation a decade ago when he covered a 65-km stretch in seven hours and two minutes. Aged five, he set records as the youngest marathon runner.

The film, helmed by first-time director Soumendra Padhi, shows how Budhia is sold for a paltry sum by his mother to make ends meet. Unaware of his running abilities, he lands up at Biranchi's judo class-cum-orphanage. Punished for misbehaviour, Budhia is asked to run and he keeps doing so for hours without a break. His amazing stamina makes Biranchi take him under his wing.

Manoj Bajpayee as Biranchi displays his histrionics as a man obsessed with making little Budhia a worldwide sensation and fighting government officials who feel he is exploiting the child for personal gains. Mayur Patole, who plays Budhia, keeps it so real that you feel it is Budhia himself on screen. The film's release coincides with the Rio Games where Biranchi wanted Budhia to compete in. But, his dream remained unfulfilled.

There are no star trappings, but the film leaves you with a warm, fuzzy feeling. So much so that you will want to overlook the flaws and just enjoy the experience.