Sinlung /
22 July 2013

On Maternity Leave, Mary Kom Awaits Biopic On Her Life

New Delhi, Jul 22 : Blessed with a third child, five-time world champion and Olympic medallist boxer M C Mary Kom is taking a one-year sabbatical from the ring while eagerly awaiting the release of a much-hyped biopic on her life starring Priyanka Chopra.

“I am taking a break. For the next six months, I won’t be training, after that I will start light training and get back to competitive fitness,” Mary Kom said while talking to PTI from Manipur.

“The entire process will take a year and I can afford that because there is no major international event lined up for the next 12 months at least,” explained the 30-year-old, who is a record five-time world champion.

“It’s the same route that I took the last time I became a mother,” added Mary referring to the twin boys — Rechungvar and Khupneivar — she gave birth to in 2007. The newest member in the family has been named Prince. Interestingly, she had gone on to become a world champion for the fourth time after her previous sabbatical.

The London Olympics bronze-medallist said her detractors might be talking about her hanging up the gloves after achieving almost everything that is there to be achieved, but she still has unfinished business in the ring.
Mary Kom thinks Priyanka Chopra is the right choice to play her on the big screen. Reuters

Mary Kom thinks Priyanka Chopra is the right choice to play her on the big screen. Reuters

“I could not get a gold in the Olympics. If the 48kg division is added for the 2016 Rio Olympics, then I would definitely give it a shot,” she said. “People do talk about what is the motivation to continue after achieving so much but they cannot understand that this is what I love the most and will do it till the time my body allows,” she added.

Away from the ring, she is all excited about the biopic being made on her life which has National award winning actor Priyanka Chopra portraying her on screen. “I was first told about the idea of a film on me during the London Olympics and my first reaction was that ‘it’s a joke’. But now that is being made, I am very excited and happy about it,” she said.

“As a Manipuri, I am very proud to be the first from my region on whom a Bollywood film is being made.”

Asked if she considers Chopra, who is not from the north-east, the right choice depicting her life, Mary said, “Absolutely, she is the right choice. The Director (Omang Kumar) knows best and he has the experience to decide the right person for the role. I personally feel Priyanka is the correct choice. She is very sweet, simple and kind,” Mary said of the actress, who recently visited her for two days as part of her preparations for the role.

“She visited my home town and got a feel of the life here. I hope she can translate it well on the screen. She was eager to know about me, my life and struggles, how I talk, she wanted to know everything,” recalled Mary.

But has she seen any of Chopra’s long list of movies? “Oh yes! I have seen most of them and I appreciate her talent. She is a good actor. When I met her, I realised we had similar upbringings and tastes,” opined the diminutive boxer.

Talking of biopics, Mary was glad to see the legendary Milkha Singh’s life coming on the silver screen recently in ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’. “That guy, Farhan Akhtar (the film’s lead) actually looks like Milkha. I was amazed,” she said.

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