Dangal | Updates and Discussion Thread - Page 33

It's said, Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery'. And it seems Dangal makers have hit bullseye, or so says Geeta Phogat, 27, lauding the film. "I'm very happy that Aamir Khan and the girls have portrayed our story so well onscreen. It seems like I'm watching myself," she says, adding that Aamir always made time for the family. "Woh jitney badey star hai, utne hi bade insaan bhi hai. Papa se milne ke liye shooting chhod dete the. (Despite being a star, he's very humble. He used to stop the shooting to meet our father)," says the wrestler, who hails from Balali village in Haryana. She says that the notion that girls can't wrestle has changed tremendously over the years.

Talking about her father, Mahavir Singh Phogat, who introduced her and sister Babita Kumari to wrestling, the wrestler " who unlike her sister, has been sporting long hair since 2010 " says: "He's my father and guru too. I was 12 years old, and weighed 24 kg when I started wrestling. Humne kabhi masti toh ki nahi. We had short hair and people would get confused if we were a boy or a girl. He used to say, yah toh shauk pura kar lo, yah kushti kar lo. Papa has been very strict with us. He taught us that to achieve something in life you have to compromise on something."

Here goes...Tell me what you think. Love. a.https://t.co/v3RmN8gKdr

" Aamir Khan (@aamir_khan) October 20, 2016

Today, Geeta stands proud, and is happy with her recent appointment as the Deputy Superintendent of Police in Haryana Police. "When I won Gold in Commonwealth Games 2010, it was announced that jinka Gold aayega unko DSP diya jaayega. I was made an inspector that time. After that time I had spoken through the media that it's my right to become the DSP. But when the governing party was changed, we didn't get a response for some time. My uncle then filed a case in Chandigarh and I was a made a DSP," she says, with her eyes now set on clinching the gold in Olympics 2020. But before that, she's preparing for her wedding with wrestler Pawan Kumar on November 20.

"Mujhe lambey baal ka shauk hai, par papa ne kaha baal badhaoge to kheloge kaise (I like long hair, but papa says if you grow your hair, how will you wrestle)," says 26-year-old freestyle wrestler Babita Kumari about Mahavir Singh Phogat, whose story will soon hit theatres in an Aamir Khan film. And the Phogat family can hardly wait to watch it. "We're excited. If people see a film about wrestling, they'll want to know about the sport," says Kumari, who's all praise for Aamir. "He's so down to earth. We've met three-four times since he invited us on his TV show and it's always wonderful," she adds.

As for their portrayal in the film, Kumari says: "When we were narrated the story by (director) Nitesh Tiwari, we loved the fact that there was nothing fake in it. It was all about what actually happened in our lives." Perfection matters to the young girl, who's now training rigorously for the 2018 Commonwealth Games, as expectations are high. "People think if Phogat sisters have gone to a competition, toh kuch toh jeet ke ayengi hi. We, too, give our 100% every time," she says.

Ask her about her hobbies, and Kumari shares, "I like to read books on freedom fighters and ones that are spiritual."

Is Aamir her favourite actor? "(Laughs) Mujhe Salman Khan badey acche lagte hain (I'm fond of Salman Khan)."