Straight bronze tale! KD Jadhav biopic will inspire youth, feels wrestler's son

Ranjit Jadhav (left) and wrestler Narsingh Yadav during a press conference to announce the biopic on late Olympics bronze-winning Indian wrestler KD Jadhav in Juhu yesterday. Pic /Satej Shinde

Sporting films have become the flavour of the season. After Amir Khan's wrestling drama, Dangal and Salman Khan's Sultan, there is another one in the pipeline -- by noted filmmaker Shyam Benegal -- on KD Jadhav, who won India's first individual Olympic medal in wrestling at the 1952 Helsinki Olympics. Sangram Singh will play the role of Jadhav in the biopic.

Talking about how this film could be different, the late Jadhav's son Ranjit said: "There are a lot of biopics being made, but my father's story of his journey from mud to mat will surely inspire the youth of today. Those times were very different. My father was selected to represent India for the 1948 Olympics in London. I was very young, but I remember how people from Goleshwar village in Satara district contributed in whatever way they could, to ensure his participation. He finished sixth in the first attempt, but that was a great achievement considering the hardship he went through."

It was in the 1952 Olympics where Jadhav created history by winning a bronze in the 52kg bantamweight class freestyle wrestling. Ranjit explained how it took 44 years before India could win another individual medal at the Olympics (Leander Paes' bronze at Atlanta in 1996).

"My father was a bright student and was even a part of the 1942 Quit India Movement. When he struggled to collect funds to travel for the London Olympics, it was his college principal Mr Khardekar who mortgaged his house for R8000 just to ensure that his ward could travel to the UK. When he returned with a medal my father placed it at the feet of Mr Khardekar. There are many such incidents not known about the great man," he added.

Ranjit recalled how the villagers greeted his father with a procession of 151 bullock carts from Karad to Goleshwar village. According to Ranjit, actor-wrestler Sangram, who will portray his dad in the biopic, is working to ensure he reaches the weight (52kg) his father used to compete in. "I am sure that since Sangram is a wrestler, who started his career fighting kushti, he will fit the character well," said Ranjit.