Babita Phogat Tells the Sad Truth About Dangal's Success
Indian wrestler Babita Phogat recently talked about the difficulties of making the hit movie "Dangal," which was about the amazing journey of the Phogat family and the rise of female wrestling in India. After coming out in 2016 and being directed by Nitesh Tiwari, "Dangal" made an amazing Rs 2070 crore around the world, making it one of the most successful movies in Indian history. However, Babita's comments about how much her family was paid for their story have caused people to raise their heads and start talking about the moral issues that come up in the movie business.
Babita said that her family only got Rs 1 crore for selling the rights to their life story, which is a very small amount compared to how much the movie made. The fact that this payment was finalised before the script was finished made it even harder to tell their story. In a shocking turn of events, Babita said that the filmmakers were talking about changing or even getting rid of her name from the picture. "You'll be surprised to learn that after the whole story was written, they were even talking about taking my name out of the movie," she said, pointing out that her identity could be erased from a story that was mostly about her family.
Mahavir Phogat, Babita's father and a former wrestler himself, pushed for them to keep their real names in the movie so that the truth of their story would be told. His insistence shows that he is very proud of their history and the hard times they had to go through in a sport that was mostly played by men. But this fight over representation brings up important questions about who gains from the stories of under-represented groups and how those stories are told in mainstream media.
After the movie's huge success, Mahavir Phogat asked Aamir Khan's team to help him open a wrestling school in Haryana for people who want to become fighters. The goal of the proposal was to help young athletes get better and make chances for future generations. Unfortunately, Babita said that their request wasn't met, which made her family sad. "My dad talked to Aamir's team and asked them to help us open a wrestling school in Haryana, but they said no." "To open a nice academy, it costs about 5–6 crore," she said, pointing out the big financial problem that was stopping them from achieving their goal.
The difference between how much money the movie made and how much the Phogat family got paid brings up important ethical questions about the directors' duties, especially when they adapt real-life stories. It brings up a bigger issue: people whose lives are used as inspiration for films need to be treated fairly and their efforts should be recognised.
People still love "Dangal" for how it shows women being strong and how it changed culture, but Babita Phogat's comments are a powerful reminder of how complicated things really are behind the scenes. Her family's journey, which was full of both hard times and happy times, should be shown in films and help the next generation of players in real ways.
When you work in a field where stories shape how people think, it's important that the opinions of those who lived those stories are not only heard, but also respected. Babita Phogat's story shows how strong people can be, and it makes us think about how we celebrate success in films while also making sure that the real heroes get the praise and help they deserve.
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