On Demand Weekly

SING YOUR SONG

By Jean Tait

SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE introduced American audiences to the Indian Cinderella story, albeit a fictional one. MARATHON BOY at first appears to be a real-life one. An adorable toddler, born in a mud-floor shack next to train tracks, is rescued by a sports coach who takes in orphans and makes sure they are educated and trained. Little Budhia quickly outshines the other children when his talent for long distance running is discovered. Before he is even four years old, Budhia has run numerous marathons, coached along with love by Baranchi Das.

As the whole Indian State of Orissa adores Budhia, questions understandably arise as to how much is encouragement and how much is exploitation. Baranchi Das and his wife Gita had adopted Budhia, but allowed his biological mother to stay with them. When his mother figures that Baranchi and Gita are making money off of Budhia’s popularity, she arranges to have him kidnapped back to her slum. Accusations of abuse are made, with Budhia half-heartedly telling stories of torture and beatings. Even after medical examination proves these false, Budhia is kept with his biological mother, breaking Baranchi’s heart.