'Budhia' among my 10 most remarkable films: Manoj Bajpayee

At the age of four, a child from a very poor family in Odisha burst on the national sports scene with his phenomenal ability to run marathons. By the age of four, Budhia Singh had run 48 marathons, including running from Bhubaneswar to Puri covering 65 km in 7 hours two minutes. Budhia was listed as the world's youngest marathon runner in the Limca Book of Records in 2006. 

 

Now a Hindi film `Budhia Singh : Born to Run' is releasing on August 5, the day Rio Olympics begin. Starring Manoj Bajpayee in the role of Biranchi Das, Budhia's coach and Pune boy Mayur Patole in the title role, the movie focuses on how India needs to nurture its child prodigies, if it has to win medals at the highest level. 

 

T S Sudhir spoke to actor Manoj Bajpayee about why he thinks `Budhia Singh' stands out in the crowd of movies made on sportspersons and why he wants every parent and child to watch the film. 

 

The first look and the anthem of `Budhia Singh : Born to Run' is extremely impressive. Congratulations. 

Manoj Bajpayee : Thank you.

 

Previous sports films that have been made in Hindi have been on champions, be it `Mary Kom' or `Bhaag Milkha Bhaag'. But the story of Buddhia Singh has many shades of grey. In that sense, would you say Buddhia is different? He is still a work in progress, isn't he?

Manoj Bajpayee: The idea of this film was different. Budhia Singh is not an achiever. His talent, the way he was treated has been questioned by many people. How we are neglecting our talent in society. It is not as if we have such talent only in privileged sections of Indian society. It is all there all over the country. 

 

The director of the movie, Soumendra Padhi said he made Budhia Singh and Mayur Patole, the child actor who plays Budhia, meet. Did you also meet Budhia to get a sense of the person he is or as a trained actor, you prepare according to inputs given to you?

Manoj Bajpayee: I do not get into that kind of research. My director did not want me to. The entire research material on Biranchi Das was available for me. And I had to play Biranchi's character so there was really no need for me to meet Budhia. Also I have followed Biranchi Das's life when Budhia was in the news. I have always been fascinated by him as a character. 
 

It is interesting you say that you have followed Biranchi Das's life story. So in a sense this was a dream role you wanted.

Manoj Bajpayee: Yes, he was always there in my mind. I would say I got lucky with getting the offer to play Biranchi Das. 

 

How much of a sportsperson are you? Because fitness would have been important given the amount of running you would have to do during the shooting of the film.

Manoj Bajpayee: I was in boarding school so it goes without saying that I love sports. So that was definitely an advantage during the making of the film.

 

 

Is the film firmly set in Odisha's ethos? Just like there is a lot of Haryanvi in 'Sultan', is there a lot of Odia in 'Budhia Singh'?

Manoj Bajpayee: Not really. The character of Biranchi Das is not very accented. Besides we wanted it to be watched by children from all over India. 

 

So in that sense, Budhia could be a child in any part of India?

Manoj Bajpayee: Yes. The film could have been set anywhere. 

 

Looking at Budhia's life and career so far, would you say India's sports system failed him?

Manoj Bajpayee: Yes. Our system has failed time and again. Budhia is a burning example of that failure. Our sports infrastructure is not in place, our sports bodies do not do their work well. Das would go to slums to spot talent whereas finding talent is the job of our sport bodies. But he was then questioned for doing this. The talent was taken away from him, accusing him of indulging in child labour. We do that all the time, don't we?

 

So in that sense Budhia's dreams or those of Biranchi Das before he was killed in 2008, could not be realised?

Manoj Bajpayee: Budhia is only 14 years old now. I am hopeful that if attention is paid to his training, he will do well. I also feel the film will do a lot of good to him, in terms of attention on what his talent and potential is and the road ahead.

 

Usually sports films leave you feeling a lump in the throat, patriotic. What is the emotion with which the audience will leave the theatre after watching 'Budhia Singh'? 

Manoj Bajpayee: It is a very inspiring film. I would say it is a movie every parent and every child in India should see. Every parent will be inspired to see the talent in their child. 

 

You have said you will count `Budhia Singh' as one of your best movies. What makes it so special for Manoj Bajpayee?

Manoj Bajpayee: Not in terms of my performance but as a movie, I would definitely count it among my ten most remarkable films. My career is only 22 years old. No one has done such a character before. You do not know whether to call Biranchi Das a hero or a villain. That question will be in the viewer's mind. His way of dealing with Budhia is objectionable. He was confused.

How was your chemistry with Mayur, the kid from Pune who plays Budhia? 

Manoj Bajpayee: That of a coach. I never befriended him. It was very deliberate on my part. He is at the age of six, after all, an impressionable mind. So I chose to be in character. 

 

Your movie is releasing on the day the Rio Olympics begin. Your director told me it was a deliberate decision. So would it be right to say that the big message from 'Budhia Singh' is that there are lots of Budhias out there in India, who are unable to make it to the big stage, who need to be tapped, nurtured, encouraged. 

Manoj Bajpayee: This is a wake-up call for every citizen of India. This is also a film that will make us realise that let us not get complacent with a few medals at the Olympics. There are so many Milkhas and Mary Koms waiting to be discovered.