Budhia Singh - Born To Run is not just another sports film. It tells a story of the wonder boy Budhia who before his 6th birthday had run more than 40 full marathons. The movie is one of its kind because till the last scene, it will be difficult to conclude whether Budhia’s coach Biranchi (Manoj Bajpayee) was justified in pushing the kid to run so many marathons. Like many other sports films (especially the recently released Saala Khadoos), Budhia Singh - Born To Run also throws light on the apathy of the government in nurturing and promoting talent and how some of the gifted people can be found in our slums. The film is just 111 minutes long but could have been tighter. The interest goes on to an all-time high when Budhia runs the mindboggling 70 kms marathon but after that, the interest dips. But the shocking climax makes up for it to an extent. If possible, don’t read up on the episode for a better impact. Mayur Patole is just awesome as Budhia – he looks completely like a gifted runner. Manoj Bajpayee as always rocks the show and good to see that he did this film – he does total justice to his role. Shruti Marathe is lovely as Biranchi’s wife Gita while Tillotama Shome as Sukanti proves yet again that she’s a powerhouse of talent. The theatrical business has been dismal (although I was surprised that the show was 30% full on a Tuesday afternoon). Here’s hoping the film gets its chance on television!

My rating - *** ½ out of 5!