A 5-year-old poor kid wants to run because it can fetch him new shoes, or a new cycle. An ambitious but cynical coach pushes the child to his limits because he is convinced the boy is talented. A darling of national and international media, Budhia was seen as a potential medal winner for India in 2016 Olympics. But he is still under a ban that prohibits him from long distance running. This ban is a result of a long struggle between his coach and the child welfare department of Odisha. Budhia Singh – Born To Run is a documentation of the events leading to this ban. The story is structured around him, and his murder is presented as an obvious conspiracy. Padhi doesn’t make a direct statement, but there’s a lot to read between the lines. The sparkling chemistry between Bajpayee and Patole makes it a tale of self respect, pride and dignity rather than frustration, treachery and scams. High-voltage scenes of clash between locals led by Das and the authorities are a treat to watch. The best part is the film’s reluctance in doling out definitive answers. The suspenseful halo around Das’ persona makes him one of the more memorable characters played by Manoj Bajpayee. Shruti Marathe is equally effective as his wife Gita. The frenzy and enigma surrounding a small boy is conveyed with precision. The meticulously planned screenplay makes the audience a party to the story. More like a fly on the wall, the viewer keeps watching everything from an objective distance. Despite dramatic crests and troughs, Budhia Singh – Born To Run is true to the original story. At 111-minutes, Budhia Singh – Born To Run doesn’t give us any dull moments. It’s a fantastic relationship drama in the disguise of a tout thriller.

The real Budhia Singh ran a 65-kilometre marathon from Bhubaneshwar to Puri at the age of four. In the film Budhia Singh - Born to Run, he does it at the age of five because 4 is unbelievable, even by Bollywood standards. Soumendra Padhi's film based on the child prodigy from Odisha, who completed 48 marathons by the age of five, is not afraid to delve into such dark, confusing territory. Padhi could take the easier route and go for a one-dimensional inspirational-cum-patriotic story and this material was perfect for such a film. His film focuses on the media circus, on token nationalism, on politics being played around a poor boy where everyone has a stake, except, perhaps, the boy himself.  Budhia Singh - Born To Run works. Every once in a while, it falls into the risk of turning into an advertisement for the real Budhia Singh as a viable national candidate for the Olympics, but the screenplay by Soumendra Padhi is so damn good that by the end, it emerges as an appreciable first film by a director. The film works, majorly, in part, because of the combined performance of Manoj Bajpayee and Mayur Patole. The film falters, somewhat, because of its length. As much as you go handheld, use Amit Trivedi, and try quasi-documentary, you won't or can't lose the instincts of an Indian filmmaker and the run-time reminds one of that. Padhi, after a point, is probably not sure about how to end the story. Budhia Singh - Born To Run should be watched. It is well-made with its heart in the right place. Good performances, a pleasing story, a national hero angle (Like Airlift, Neerja, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag) - what more do you want?

A Bollywood sports film is usually an awkward creature. It tends to be a loud, lumbering beast prone to melodramatic flab and excessive deification. Mercifully, first-time writer-director Soumendra Padhi's Budhia Singh - Born to Run isn't one. It is neither average Bollywood fare nor is it just another sports-themed potboiler designed to magnify the heroics of an achiever. It does no superfluous huffing and puffing. It instead probes the multiple social and emotional strands, and the dramatic highs and treacherous lows, linked to the incredible true story of Budhia Singh. The spotlight of Padhi's screenplay is as much on the tireless wonder boy as on the dogged man who rescues him from the squalor of a poverty-stricken slum and sets out to groom him for Olympic glory. Anchored by a typically solid performance from Manoj Bajpayee as the never-say-die judo instructor who spots Budhia's penchant for running, the film presents an emotionally engaging story about a man's tussle against the media and the child welfare system that are overtly predisposed against him. Budhia Singh - Born to Run is by no means a perfect film, but it is an honest, heartfelt and highly effective tribute to a coach and his ward who were bafflingly stopped in their tracks. Mayur Patole, the child actor who plays Budhia with admirable felicity, lends authenticity to the character by virtue of being a real, believable face.The perfectly cast Mayur isn't one of those chocolaty boys/girls that Mumbai directors turn to when they want to add a syrupy spin to their larger-than-life tales. Budhia Singh - Born to Run hinges on two emotional bonds. One is of course between Biranchi and Budhia, a father figure-gifted disciple relationship that weathers many storms. The film celebrates an improbable dream and mourns its untimely death, both with infectious passion, and ends with a fervent appeal on a behalf of a social media campaign to put Budhia back in his running shoes. Not a bad idea at all. Overall, Budhia Singh - Born to Run is worth running all the way to the nearest multiplex for.