Actor Kangana Ranaut, known for taking on diverse and challenging roles, says she is open to bringing the story of Paralympic champion Deepa Malik to the big screen.
Kangana has previously explored the world of sports through her film Panga, where she played a kabaddi player.
Speaking at the Team India jersey launch for the upcoming World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, Kangana replied to Zee News question, “I would definitely love to do a movie based on the life of para athletes. As I said, Deepa Malik ji has been the face of resilience. Over the years, she has highlighted the struggles of para-athletes in different ways. If someone makes a movie on her life, I would definitely like to portray her character.”
Who is Deepa Malik?
Deepa Malik made history as the first Indian woman to win a medal at the Paralympic Games in 2016. She is also a mother of two specially-abled children, and remarkably, began her sporting career at the age of 40. Over the years, she has represented India in multiple sports and won medals across several international events.
Reacting to Kangana’s interest, Deepa exclusively told Zee News: “My autobiography ‘Bring It On’ has been released recently, and if someone like Kangana does a movie on that, I would consider myself privileged and it would make me happy. The story of my life has been interesting – a mother of two kids who are also specially-abled persons, who starts representing India in sports at the age of 40 and brings many laurels for the country.”
She added, “My movie will have all the elements – action, drama, romance, as I have been a biker, swimmer, car rallyist, apart from being a sports person and a mother. A movie of my life would be an interesting chapter in the journey of para sports.”
Inspiring the Next Generation
As brand ambassador of the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI), Kangana believes films like these can have a lasting impact. “Our kids will learn from their journey. It will help them understand about the difficulties faced by others and make them a bit more sensitive and respectful towards them. We won’t get better inspirational stories anywhere rather than these athletes.”
On the work front, Kangana Ranaut was last seen in her directorial ‘Emergency’, which starred her as Indira Gandhi and featured an impressive cast including Anupam Kher, Mahima Chaudhry, Milind Soman, Shreyas Talpade, and the late Satish Kaushik.
