On maternity leave, Mary awaits biopic

Blessed with a third child, five-time world champion and Olympic medallist boxer M C Mary Kom is taking a one-year sabbatical from the ring while eagerly awaiting the release of a much-hyped biopic on her life starring Priyanka Chopra.

I am taking a break. For the next six months, I won’t be training, after that I will start light training and get back to competitive fitness,’ Mary Kom said while talking from Manipur. Away from the ring, she is all excited about the biopic being made on her life. ‘I was first told about the idea of a film on me during the London Olympics and my first reaction was that ‘it’s a joke’. But now that is being made, I am very excited and happy about it. As a Manipuri, I am very proud to be the first from my region on whom a Bollywood film is being made,’ she said.

Asked if she considers Chopra, who is not from north-east, the right choice, Mary said, ‘Absolutely, she is the right choice. The director (Omang Kumar) knows best and he has the experience to decide the right person for the role. I personally feel Priyanka is the correct choice. She is very sweet, simple and kind,’ Mary said of the actress who visited her home town recently to get a feel of the life there. ‘I hope she can translate it well on the screen. She was eager to know about me, my life and struggles, how I talk, she wanted to know everything,’ recalled Mary.

Talking of biopics, Mary was glad to see the legendary Milkha Singh’s life coming on the silver screen recently in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. ‘That guy, Farhan Akhtar actually looks like Milkha. I was amazed,’ said the Olympic bronze medallist.