Mahavir:Whatever Aamir and the director have shown in Dangal is right

Wrestler-coach Mahavir Phogat is more than happy with his portrayal in Dangal and gives full marks to Aamir Khan

Jasmine Singh

On the podium, towards extreme left, is where we find him sitting, absolutely comfortably! The name card in front of him says Mahavir Phogat. Dressed in a formal suit with a hat sitting tight on his head, Mahavir moves his eyes that adjust with the crowd, as if they are not used to seeing individuals, as if they only shine when they see people around...people in the akhada and people in Dangal!In Chandigarh, accompanied by his wife Daya Kaur, daughters, Sangeeta and Ritu, and son Rahul, Mahavir officially releases the book " Akhada " based on his life by journalist Saurabh Duggal.

Star power

Interestingly, he had no idea about how popular Aamir Khan was when he first met him! "I did not know much about Aamir khan when I first met him; it was only the second time that I came to know that he was such a popular actor," shares the man on whose life is based Bollywood film Dangal, where Aamir Khan plays Mahavir.And does Aamir play him well on screen? He smiles, "Bahut acha kiya. He is a great actor and whatever he has shown on screen is real, every bit of it."

Hanikarak bapu

What about the hanikarak bapu tag? Mahavir's daughters would want to answer this one. "We have seen the song hanikarak bapu in Dangal; our father used to make us rough it out from 3 in the morning. Jo apne song main dekha woh kam hi hai, kyunki hamarey bapu ne to issey zaada hi kiya hai. He threw whatever he would find at us if we didn't attend practice," the sisters share in unison, inviting a covert smile from their mother and brother, and a nod from Mahavir Phogat.

Reality bite

With the Bollywood film Dangal ready for release, Mahavir and his family are eagerly waiting. They are not nervous of showing to their world their real lives. "What is there to hide; there is nothing in the film that I have an objection to. Whatever Aamir Khan and the director have shown is right to the tee," says Mahavir, who has had a chance to be on the sets of Dangal when the shooting was on. He has had endless discussions with Aamir Khan during those shoots. "Aamir Khan would sit and talk for 5-6 hours with me; he would show me TV (camera monitor) and ask if whatever he had done was right. His wife Kiran and Aamir took care of me when I was on the sets, offering me good food and making sure I was comfortable."

Family first

As Mahavir and his family keep rolling the anecdotes from their life and the upcoming film Dangal, you can't help seeing two people who have either nodded in approval or smiled along without saying much- Mahabir's wife, Daya, and their son Rahul. "Wahi jawaab dainge," Daya Kaur wants her husband to be by her side and handle the queries. But, there is one question that she has a ready answer to. Did she like actress Sakshi Tanwar play Daya Kaur on screen? "Bahut acha kiya hai unhoney," she almost whispers.And there is another in the Phogat family who hasn't spoken " Rahul. Dangal's movie trailer shows Aamir Khan wishing that a son be born to him. Is this Rahul here? "Rahul is my brother's son; he is my son only, he has done engineering but he dedicates all his time for their training," Mahavir takes up this one.