While Dangal might have been a cinematic triumph, earning over ₹2,070 crore worldwide, the story behind the screen is far from glitzy. Babita Phogat, one of the wrestlers whose life inspired the blockbuster, recently revealed that despite the movie’s monumental success, her family received a shockingly modest sum for their story rights.
In a candid interview with News 24, Babita opened up about how her family was approached for the film. “A journalist from Chandigarh wrote an article about us, and that caught the attention of Nitesh Tiwari’s team. At first, they told us they were interested in making a documentary,” she shared. However, as things progressed, the concept evolved into a full-fledged Bollywood film. Babita recalls the emotional moment when the director narrated the story to her family, a moment that took them right back to their roots.
As for the payment they received, Babita’s revelations were rather surprising. “I didn’t get a lot of money. You’ll be shocked to know that after the story was written, there was even talk about removing my name from the film,” Babita said. Apparently, there were discussions to change the character names entirely, but her father stood firm. “My dad wasn’t okay with it. He made it clear that if the film was going to be made, it would be with our real names.”
When asked to reveal the exact amount they were paid, Babita gave a playful response, “What’s 1% of ₹2,000 crore?” The interviewer guessed ₹20 crore. Babita chuckled, adding, “And what’s 1% of ₹20 crore?” After some back-and-forth, she revealed, “Not as low as ₹20 lakh, but around ₹1 crore.”
Despite the film’s huge financial success, Babita revealed a deeper disappointment. After Dangal became a hit, her father reached out to Aamir Khan’s team with a humble request: to help fund a wrestling academy in their village. “After the film’s success, my dad spoke to Aamir’s team and requested them to help us open an academy in Haryana for wrestlers, but that was ignored. It takes about Rs 5-6 crore to open a nice academy,” Babita explained. But sadly, this request was ignored by the filmmakers, leaving the Phogat family’s dream unfulfilled.
While Dangal will forever be remembered as one of Bollywood’s greatest films, the real story—of Babita, her family, and their unrecognized contribution to the film’s success—adds a bittersweet layer to the film’s legacy.
