Director-actor Farhan Akhtar has offered to give the struggle of Arunima Sinha, the first female amputee to climb Mount Everest, a big screen treatment.
"Farhan had come to meet me at my place here on May 18 and proposed to make a film on my life highlighting my struggle. I have accepted the offer," Arunima told PTI.
She was a national level volleyball player who was pushed from a running train by thieves in 2011 while resisting their attack. As a result one of her legs had to be amputated below the knee.
"Farhan is very excited about this project of making the film on my life and will direct it himself. He has contacted me on twitter on April 20, but that time I was in Australia. Now we got the chance to discuss the project," she said.
Farhan told Arunima that that he had read her book "Born again on the Mountain" and it had taken him to her world of struggle and he decided to make a film on it.
"Farhan said he wanted to make the film on her so that people could know about my struggle and get motivated just like his movie 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' through which life of a great athlete was presented before the world."
Arunima said she would take royalty for the film but not spend it on social welfare as she wanted to open a free sports academy for the poor and differently-abled persons.
She is donating all the financial aids she is getting through awards and seminars for the cause. The academy would be in Unnao district, in neigbouring Lucknow and would be named Pandit Chandra Shekhar Vikalang Khel Academy.
She said that the outline of the film will be finalised in Mumbai on May 25 when she releases the Marathi edition of her book.
"Milkha Singh ji had taken Rs one as royalty for 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag', but the aim of my life is to serve handicapped persons and set up an academy for them. My royalty would be dedicated for them and even after me they would be getting its benefit," she added.
Sinha had boarded the Padmavat Express train at Lucknow for Delhi on 11 April 2011, to take an examination to join the CISF but was pushed out of a general coach of the train by thieves wanting to snatch her bag and gold chain.
She was treated in AII India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). It was that time she resolved to climb Mount Everest, as she was inspired by cricketer Yuvraj Singh, who had successfully battled cancer.
On May 21, 2013, Arunima climed Mount Everest and became the first female amputee to do so.
