Budhia Singh Born To Run cast: Manoj Bajpayee, Mayur Patole, Tillotama Shome
Director: Soumendra Padhi

At the age of four, Budhia ran the 65 km between Bhubaneshwar to Puri in a little over seven hours, and was featured in the Limca Book of World Records as the ‘youngest marathon runner in the world’. His feat, amazing for someone so young and frail, was lapped up by the media, and he began being hailed as Odisha’s pride. Overnight, he became a star; so did his controversial coach Biranchi Das, who rescued him, some said, from one kind of exploitation only to exploit him for his (Biranchi’s) own glory.

The lead performances are spot on. Bajpayee as Biranchi is stellar, playing him with just the right mixture of truculence and affection. And fittingly again, the real star of the movie is Budhia, played by Mayur Patole without an ounce of artifice: he runs with his entire being, with an eye on the finishing line.

Verdict: The movie is one time watch.