Legendary boxer Mary Kom has landed a punch on her much-discussed eponymous biopic starring Priyanka Chopra, days after her eviction from the Bigg Boss 20 house. The pugilist, who won a bronze medal at the London 2012 Summer Olympics, in a latest interview said that the biopic was not real and that one should read her book Unbreakable to learn about the real struggles of her life.<\/p>\n
Released in 2014, Mary Kom chronicled the journey of real-life boxing champion Mary Kom, who goes on to become a six-time world amateur boxing champion. The film, directed by Omung Kumar, earned Priyanka Chopra a Best Actress National Award.<\/p>\n
Asked if a sequel should be made to the film, Mary Kom said there was no need for a follow-up now.<\/p>\n
“I don’t think there should be a sequel now; everybody knows my story. My career and journey have already been shown in the film and my book Unbreakable. However, the biopic was not real. I felt some parts of the story were not real. Only 10 percent of my struggle and hard work was shown in it,” she told The Indian Express.<\/p>\n
“If you read the book, only then can you see my struggle and hard work. The remaining life I don’t know what will happen, but the future will be smooth, and happy, I wish that. People want to know if there will be room for love in my life. I will decide if that happens in the future,” she added.<\/p>\n
In a 2022 interview, Priyanka Chopra said she feels someone from the Northeast should have played the Manipuri boxer in Mary Kom.<\/p>\n
“When I played Mary Kom, I was very sceptical taking it on in the beginning because she was a living, breathing icon and she made place for so many female athletes. Plus, I look nothing like her. She comes from the northeast of India and I am from northern India and we physically didn’t look alike. In hindsight, the part should have probably gone to someone from the northeast.<\/p>\n
“But I was just greedy as an actor to get a chance to tell her story because she inspired me so much, as a woman, as an Indian woman, as an athlete. When the filmmakers insisted I do it, I was just like, ‘You know what? I’m going to do it,'” she had told Vanity Fair.<\/p>\n
To prepare for the role, Priyanka Chopra said she met Mary Kom and spent time at her home with her family.<\/p>\n
“I had to spend almost five months training to learn the sport, which is not easy, by the way… And to physically alter my body as well, to get into an athlete’s shape. So, physically, it was really tough, mentally, it was really tough. Because I physically didn’t look like her, I decided to embody her spirit. So, I spent a lot of time with her so that she could educate me about what her choices were, why she made the choices that she did.”<\/p>\n