The grappler who turned down Dangal offer

BHOPAL/GWALIOR: Like any other wrestler, Rani Rana from Madhya Pradesh also strives and trains hard to make a mark for herself. She has won her share of medals too but there’s something in her that stands out from most other grapplers.
She knows her priorities well and that is why she snubbed a role in Aamir Khan starrer Dangal or Salman Khan’s Sultan. Instead she opted to participate in the national championships.
Recently, she won a gold medal in the state-level wrestling championship organised in Gwalior.
When TOI contacted Arjuna awardee wrestler Kripa Shankar Patel, who had trained the actors of Dangal fame along with Aamir Khan, he said, “Rani too has been trained by me. I selected her among several other wrestlers from across the country.”
Dangal was based on the life of the Phogat sisters —Geeta and Babita and their father Mahavir Singh Phogat. Like the Phogat girls, Rani came from a non-descript village. “My village Jakhara is around 25 km from Gwalior city,” said Rani.
The 55-kg category wrestler took up the sport despite it being a taboo for womenfolk in her village. “It was tough for a girl to indulge in this sport. However, I was committed to the core and wanted to be a top-notch wrestler. With the support of my family, I have been able to chase my dreams,” Rani said.
When asked about the offer to act in Dangal, Rani said, “For me, the priority lies in wrestling. I was selected to act in the movie but I did not want to miss the national championships.”
Rani believed that she will make the country proud in the near future.
After turning down the Bollywood offer, Rani took part in the All India Inter-University Championship and won a bronze medal. At present, she is being trained at Malhar Ashram wrestling arena in Indore.
Her coach Ajay Vaishnav also feels Rani has huge potential. “It is good to see that she has given priority to the game. She could be a match winner at the national level if she maintains her consistency,” said Vaishnav.
It is worthwhile to mention here that Bhopal girl Poornima Rajput who is a medal winner in Nationals starred in Salaa Khadoos alongside Madhavan.