Budhia Singh, the marathon runner who at the age of four, created a world record by running non-stop from Bhubaneshwar to Puri, a distance of 65 kilometers, is now 14.
Budhia Singh, the marathon runner who at the age of four, created a world record by running non-stop from Bhubaneshwar to Puri, a distance of 65 kilometers, is now 14.
A film on his life Budhia Singh: Born To Run has now been released, 10 years on.
But Budhia says he cannot remember anything. Speaking in a halting mumble, he says, “Main bachcha tha. Ten years have passed. I’ve spent these years in a sports hostel training for marathons. But I am not allowed to run. I want to run. I want to do my country proud.”
The film on his early life made Budhia happy. “I watched it like I was seeing someone else’s life. It was incredible! I was happy that director Soumendra Padhi made a film on my life.”
Budhia remains detached from the film. “When I finally saw the film this week, I couldn’t recall any of the incidents shown in the film. Not the fame nor the applause… nothing! Did all this really happen to me?”
Budhia was impressed by his own story on screen and the child actor Mayur Patole who plays Budhia. “I’ve seen my pictures from when I was a child. Mayur looks exactly the way I did when I was four.”
“It is amazing! When he stood next to me after the film, I felt I was looking at my own childhood.”
At 14, Budhia is raring to get back to running. “But they won’t allow me. The government says I am too young to run professionally. That I’ll be allowed to run only when I am 18. I want to run for my country. I want to bring back the Olympic medal. But I need a good coach.”
Budhia’s coach during childhood was Biranchi Das, played by Manoj Bajpai in the film. Says Budhia, “I don’t remember much about my coach, but I’ve been told he loved me like a son and was very encouraging. He is no more. I need another coach like him.”
Recalls Budhia, “They came to shoot the film in Odisha.The boy who plays me ran through those very streets and lanes that I did. I watched him. It was like reliving my own childhood, which I don’t remember. Everyone had forgotten me and my achievements.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Bollywood, Budhia Singh: Born To Run, Budhia Singh, Manoj Bajpayee, Marathon")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}