21 January,2021 07:15 AM IST | Mumbai | Uma Ramasubramanian
Pics/AFP
How did a man who couldn't walk until the age of five, run 26.2 miles at 100? Some term it a miracle; the more discerning ones understand the sheer power of determination and self-discipline at play. Either way, the story of Fauja Singh - who put on his running shoes at 81, and at 100, became the oldest marathoner by completing the Toronto Waterfront Marathon in 2011 - is one that deserves to be told. Mary Kom (2014) director Omung Kumar B has decided to bring the centenarian's journey on screen with Fauja. The movie will be based on Khushwant Singh's book, Turbaned Tornado.
"His story depicts the insurmountable odds stacked against him, and what sheer will-power can make of someone who is challenged medically, by age and by society," says Kumar. The film is expected to go on floors by mid-2021.
Born in Punjab, Singh couldn't walk or go to the local school in the early years as his legs were weak. While he began walking shortly after turning five, his love for running blossomed decades later when he, then 81 and staying in England, saw a marathon on television. He participated in several races thereon, including those in London. His participation in the New York City Marathon, at the age of 93, was personally important - Singh viewed it as a means to combat the misdirected hate against Sikhs after the 9/11 attacks.
Filmmaker Raaj Shaandilyaa, who is producing the biopic along with Kumar and Kunal Shivdasani, says, "This story takes us on a journey through time, and makes us realise what [the earlier generations] have been through."
