…an honest and sincere attempt at a sports biopic – a rarity in Bollywood, which tends towards melodrama and obscures reality even when it comes to telling real-life stories. For that alone, Padhi’s effort is commendable.

This is a story so fantastical that it’s hard to believe it really happened, which makes it an excellent subject for a feature film. Padhi, to some extent, succeeds in crafting an engaging narrative, albeit with the most predictable of devices.

Except for a few good films, when a biopic meets Bollywood the end product is ususally not great, but that isn’t the case with this film. The heart of the film lies in the beautifully crafted relationship between Budhia played by little Mayur Patole and his coach played by Manoj Bajpai. So in all, this movie grasps your attention from start till the end. If you’re looking for a moving watch, Budhia Singh-Born To Run seems like the apt choice.

You should watch Budhia Singh – Born to Run to know the story of a five-year old whose dreams we quashed. Maybe not you and I, but India as a country, and as a system that has failed one of its own. Watch Budhia Singh’s incomplete story, as he still waits for his Olympic dream.

‘Budhia Singh’ manages to break away from a whole lot of principle arcs and formulae.

Born To Run fits the bill of the average sports biopic, but it rises a few notches above the Indian version of the genre. The 111-minute movie might have benefited from fewer montages of Budhia panting over asphalt and less pantomime performances by the government employees (played by Chhaya Kadam and Gajraj Rao). This sports biopic wants to be black and white, but it’s actually a nice shade of grey.