Documentary: Goonga Pehelwan (2013)
A documentary that follows India’s most successful deaf athlete on his unlikely quest to reach the Rio Olympics 2016 and become only the second deaf wrestler in the history of the Olympics to do so.
Documentary Trailer:
Brief Description:
In a country that hardly
produces world champions and Olympic medalists, here is a man who, for
the better part of his life, has been just that - a World Champion and a
Deaflympics (Olympics for the Deaf) Gold Medalist.
This film is a story
of grit, fierce dedication and hope. This film is an attempt to make
possible the dream of India’s most successful deaf athlete, his dream of
making it to the Rio Olympics 2016.
This is Virender Singh’s story – a
captivating account of the life of an incredible athlete; an athlete
largely unknown, snubbed by the bureaucracy but who is no mood to let up
as he continues to wrestle on.
For a man who has faced apathy and
penury, scraping a living out of fighting traditional mud wrestling
competitions against other able-bodied athletes and who never thought of
giving up the sport, even in very difficult circumstances - he shows no
signs of letting up but his eyes betray what he feels deep inside. This
is the story of a wrestler, a warrior and most importantly, a winner.
Now, as Virender gears up
for his third Deaflympics appearance, at Sofia, Bulgaria, this film
delves into and tracks his life from the by-lanes of a small village in
Haryana to becoming India's most successful deaf athlete ever and aims
at fulfilling the long-cherished dream of every athlete; to go to the
biggest sporting event in the world, the Olympics. On the way, it looks
at all that he as endured and achieved through a glittering decade and a
half long career.
The struggle that Virender
faces outside the wrestling arena are the tougher ones because inside
the ring he is in total control and there aren’t too many fights that he
loses.
It’s the battles outside the ring that this film endeavors to
make him win. India - Virender wants to hear from you.
http://www.goongapehelwanthefilm.com/Home/
