Babita Phogat Opens Up About Being Undervalued in Dangal: ‘They Wanted to Remove My Name’
Babita Phogat, the renowned Indian wrestler whose life story was depicted in the blockbuster Bollywood film Dangal, has recently opened up about her experience with the film’s production. While the movie earned worldwide acclaim and grossed an impressive Rs 2070 crore globally, Babita and her family received only Rs 1 crore for selling the rights to their life story. She shared the behind-the-scenes details of how Dangal came into being and the impact it has had on her life.
How Dangal Came to Be
Babita Phogat’s inspiring journey to becoming a wrestling champion was immortalized on the big screen in 2016 when director Nitesh Tiwari’s Dangal was released. However, the project didn’t start as a full-fledged film. According to Babita, the process began with a small article written by a journalist from Chandigarh, which drew the attention of Tiwari’s team. Initially, the director approached the Phogat family with the intent of making a documentary about their lives. “A director came to us around 2010 and spoke about making a documentary. But later, after writing the story, he expressed the desire to make a film instead,” Babita recalled.
She also mentioned how deeply emotional the entire Phogat family became when Tiwari first narrated the film’s script. “When Nitesh Tiwari shared the story with us, it brought back so many memories. When I watched the film for the first time, it felt like I was reliving my childhood. It was an emotional experience for all of us,” she said.
The Fight Over Names and Rights
While the film’s emotional impact was undeniable, Babita revealed shocking details about how the production team handled the story rights. Despite the movie’s monumental success, Babita shared that her family was paid a modest Rs 1 crore for the rights to their story, which was a mere fraction of the film’s colossal earnings. “I got very less money,” she stated bluntly. Babita disclosed that after the script was finalized, there were discussions within Aamir Khan’s team about removing her name from the film altogether. “They were even considering changing the character’s name in the movie,” Babita revealed. Her father, Mahavir Singh Phogat, firmly opposed this change and insisted that the real names of the family members be used in the film. “If you want to make the film, then it has to be our real names,” her father had said.
Babita explained that the fee for the story rights was determined long before the film was fully written, making it clear that their compensation was minimal compared to the film’s ultimate earnings. “The fees for the rights were decided much before they wrote the story. It was not even 1% of the film’s total earnings,” she revealed.
Ignored After Success
The financial aspect wasn’t the only disappointment for Babita and her family. After the massive success of Dangal, Babita’s father approached Aamir Khan’s team with a request to support the opening of a wrestling academy in Haryana. According to Babita, this request was met with silence. “After the film’s success, my dad spoke to Aamir’s team and requested help in opening an academy for wrestlers in Haryana, but they ignored it,” she said. The Phogat family hoped that with the film’s success, they could channel some of the profits into nurturing the next generation of Indian wrestlers. Babita mentioned that opening a well-equipped wrestling academy would require approximately Rs 5-6 crore, but their request for assistance was left unanswered.+
Reflections on Dangal
Though Dangal played a pivotal role in bringing the Phogat family’s inspiring story to the world, Babita’s revelations highlight the disparity between the film’s success and the family’s compensation. While the movie touched the hearts of millions and brought attention to the struggles and triumphs of the Phogat sisters, it seems the family’s experience with the filmmakers wasn’t entirely positive.
Despite the financial and personal disappointments, Babita remains proud of her journey and the film’s ability to inspire others. However, her account raises important questions about how the stories of real-life individuals are handled in the film industry, especially when it comes to sharing the profits with those whose lives serve as the foundation for these blockbuster movies.
Dangal may have cemented Babita Phogat‘s name in Bollywood history, but her story serves as a reminder of the complexities behind the scenes and the challenges faced even by those whose lives are celebrated on screen.