Budhia pins hope on film's success for a good coach

Having made history by becoming the youngest marathon runner in the country and then subsequently fading away to oblivion, Budhia Singh now hopes that the upcoming biopic on him would resurrect his career.

Singh ran from Bhubaneswar to Puri at the age of four covering 65 kilometres in seven hours and two minutes. He was listed as the country’s youngest marathon runner in the Limca book of records in the year 2006.

The boy wonder’s life will be depicted on screen in the film “Budhia Singh - Born to Run” directed by Soumendra Padhi.

Budhia says he was elated to know that a film was being made on him, starring Manoj Bajpayee in the role of his coach.

“I was extremely happy when I heard that a film will be made on me. My mother and sister were equally happy. The director had told me that a film is being on my life and Manoj Bajpayee ji will be in it,” Budhia told PTI.

By the time he was five-year-old, Budhia ran 48 marathons with the able help of his coach Biranchi Das. It was only after he watched the trailer that Budhia realised similarities between Bajpayee and his real life coach, who died in 2008.

“When I saw the trailer, I realised that he (Bajpayee) looked exactly the same as my coach. He reminded me of my coach a lot. I then met Manoj sir in a studio. He said after watching the film, the government will remember Budhia again, then you can run again.”

In 2007, Budhia was admitted to a state-run sports hostel in Bhubaneswar for better training and education. For Budhia, now 14-year-old, all he wants is a good coach who can help him achieve his dream.

“All I want is a good coach and a good training. In Odisha and a lot of other states, many kids want to run but they don’t get any offer. God has sent us here for a reason.  Everyone has some talent.

“Even a blind person, who cannot see the world, has something special in him. I want the government to look into these talents of the kids and preserve them.”

Budhia says he wants to get out of the hostel as there are not enough facilities to help him achieve his dream.

“I want to get out of the hostel because they don’t give us good food nor there is any freedom... The the kids in the hostel are being kept as if in jail. Nobody is allowed to go out, the process of asking for a permission to go out isalso very time consuming,” he alleged.

Budhia, who is still popular in his home state of Odisha, even as his athletic prowess has faded, now hopes to represent the country.

“I want to run 400-m, 800-m or long distance. I want to represent my country. I hope the film does good and I achieve my dream,” he quipped. Produced by Viacom18 Motion Pictures and Code Red Film Productions, the movie also stars Tillotama Shome and Master Mayur. “Budhia Singh Born to Run” is scheduled to release on August 5.