Babita Phogat reveals Aamir Khan’s Dangal makers paid them just 1 crore and wanted to remove their real names from film: ‘They ignored our request…’
Babita Phogat gained widespread recognition after the success of *Dangal*, a Bollywood film based on her life and that of her family. Starring Aamir Khan, the movie became a massive hit, grossing over Rs 2,000 crore worldwide. Despite its global success, the Phogat family, whose story was the inspiration, received only Rs 1 crore for the rights to their life story. In a recent interview with *News 24*, Babita revealed her surprise over several aspects of the film’s production and how her family was treated.
She explained that the filmmakers first became interested in their story after a journalist from Chandigarh wrote an article about her family. This article caught the attention of director Nitesh Tiwari’s team, leading to discussions in 2010. Initially, they had considered making a documentary, but the idea eventually evolved into a feature film.
However, Babita shared her disappointment regarding the financial aspect of the deal. When asked about the amount they received for the rights, Babita humorously broke it down by saying, “How much is 1 percent of Rs 2,000 crore?” After some back-and-forth with the interviewer, she confirmed they had received around Rs 1 crore, which was far less than what the film earned globally.
Babita also revealed that during the scriptwriting process, there was a proposal to change her character’s name. The filmmakers wanted to remove her name from the film entirely, which was met with strong opposition from her father. He insisted that if they were going to tell their story, the characters should retain their real names. Eventually, the filmmakers agreed to this demand.
Another disappointment for the Phogat family came after the film’s release. Babita shared that her father had reached out to Aamir Khan with a request to help build a sports academy in their village. Despite the success of *Dangal*, the family received no response from Khan’s team regarding the request, leaving them disheartened by the lack of follow-up support.
