Geeta Phogat’s coach is miffed with Aamir Khan’s ‘Dangal’. Here’s why…

Aamir Khan‘s ‘Dangal’ has been winning hearts everywhere. Not just Haryana but the entire country has given thumbs up to the glorious journey of Geeta Phogat, India’s first woman wrestler to bring a gold to the country and qualify for the Olympics. However, there’s one man whom the film has failed to please. PR Sondhi, the coach who trained Geeta and her sister Babita for over three years, has objections to how his character was portrayed.

In the film, Fatima Sana Shaikh (reel life Geeta) starts training for international matches under coach PR Kadam; a vindictive, prejudiced and self-centered man. On learning that Geeta is receiving guidance from her father Mahavir Singh Phogat (Aamir Khan), he does the needful to restrict their meeting and locks him inside a room during Geeta’s final match for gold.

This is where it troubles the senior coach.

Also Read: ‘Dangal’ girls Fatima and Sanya recreated this song from ‘Andaz Apna Apna’

“They have changed the name to PR Kadam in the film, but somewhere the character is loosely based on my life. I have known Mahavirji  for many years and he is a thorough gentleman. His two daughters have trained under me for more than three years and not once did he interfere. I don’t understand the need to show the character as such a taskmaster. There were four other coaches, who were also involved [in the training], but they haven’t been shown in the film at all. Distortion of facts has hurt my reputation. Once I watch the film, I will speak to the wrestling federation. I also plan to meet Aamir and seek an explanation,” Sondhi told a leading daily.

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“Kripa Shankar Bishnoi, who trained Aamir for Dangal, has been my student. When we all met, Aamir asked me general questions about wrestling, but not once did he discuss anything about the film. He should have told me how they were planning to portray the coach’s character,” he added.

Watch this space for further developments…

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Ranjini Maitra

Journalist. Writer. Reader. Enthu cutlet. Mood-swing machine. Day dreamer. Sandwiched between ‘live life fully’ and ‘lose some weight’. Mantra of life: Love and love more.