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Coming up: Biopic on athlete’s comeback story!
Sportsperson Neelu Mishra from Varanasi, who has won 51 national and 28 international medals in athletics, is elated with the country’s performance at recent Tokyo Olympics
Sportsperson Neelu Mishra from Varanasi, who has won 51 national and 28 international medals in athletics, is elated with the country’s performance at recent Tokyo Olympics. With an exceptional journey, Mishra has inspired film maker Manoj Tiwari to direct her biopic.
The 49-year-old athlete says, “The director, who had earlier made P se Pyaar F Se Faraar based on a javelin player, has come down to sign a contract with me for the biopic. Scripting is on and now they are zeroing on an actor who can essay my role as mine is a sports journey of a fat to fit so it needs a lot of transformation.”
She feels Alia Bhatt, Taapsee Pannu, Anushka Sharma or any newcomer can play her character. “Initially I was 54 kgs which reached to 89 kgs due to illness and then reduced to 62 kgs.”
Giving an insight of her journey she says, “I belong to Basti and before marriage (1995), I played 12 nationals and my record for inter-university in UP of 100 m in 12 seconds is still unbroken. Then, I left sports and got busy with my family, son and government job. After miscarriage, I developed medical conditions and nearly had a kidney failure, sugar, BP, asthma with heart and intestine problem.”
Warned by doctors, in 2008, she realised that she really wants to be back on track. “In three months, I made a turnaround. In January 2009, I bagged gold medal in national game (35 plus age category) held at Hissar and in July won bronze medal in World Masters Athletic Championship, Finland.”
Currently, she plays in 45 plus category and from next year will play 50 plus. She has won 79 medals and feels had lockdown not happened the tally today would have clocked 100. She last won 2 gold and 1 silver in Imphal (2020), while in Malaysia (2019) she bagged a gold medal.
Mishra inspired many in the city too. “I started my club and soon girls and boys started joining in, even from Naxalite area. Many of them have won medals, got government job and some had opened academy and even become coach. It was tough as I had to convince family and answer patriarchal society, but I had to do it,” says the Rani Laxmibai awardee.
Elated with the India’s performance in Olympic she says, “I am very happy that men did well but happier that girls have made us so proud. Being a sportsperson, I know besides sports they have to put up a fight in every stage of life. The medal haul will be an inspiration for female sportsperson and parents.”
Mishra is working hard for national championship to be held later this year and the Asian and World Championship next year.
