Days after Dangal hit the theaters, the film has found itself in a raging controversy.
PR Sondhi, the National Sports Academy coach who trained Geeta Phogat for the Commonwealth Games 2010, is upset over his portrayal in the film. He has also demanded an apology from Khan for 'downgrading coaches as a class.'
The film shows the character inspired by Sondhi (he's not named Sondhi to avoid a lawsuit, as much of the segment is fictitious) in a negative light.
The character, played by actor Girish Kulkarni, routinely gets into an argument with Mahavir Phogat's character over Geeta's training and at one point during the final match, ensures that Phogat is locked in a room so he misses Phogat's defining moment of glory.
Sondhi has said in interviews no such thing ever happened. "There were five other coaches. There were wrestling officials and media. If anything like it had happened, it must have been picked by media," he told PTI. He also said that the negative portrayal had 'hurt his reputation.'
Responding to this, Aamir Khan told India Today, "No, he (Mahavir Phogat) was not actually locked up in the room. Like in every biopic, some bit of fiction is added but the spirit of the story of Mahavir, Geeta and Babita is intact. There may be a few incidents here and there which may not have happened exactly that way but in essence, it is their story."
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