Paris Olympics 2024: Chen Shih-hsin Finds ‘Uncanny Resemblence’ With Her Life And Aamir Khan’s ‘Dangal’

In "Dangal," Aamir Khan portrayed the strict patriarch Mahavir Singh Phogat, who trains his daughters, Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari, to become world-class female wrestlers.

New Delhi: Amir Khan’s “Dangal,” released in 2016, has been a great source of inspiration for many athletes, showcasing peak determination. Taiwan’s first athlete to win an Olympic gold medal, Chen Shih-hsin, is one of those moved by the film.

In an interview with NDTV, Chen highlighted “Dangal” as the film that bore an “uncanny resemblance” to her own life. The movie, which remains the highest-grossing Indian film in China, features Amir as the strict patriarch Mahavir Singh Phogat, who trains his daughters, Geeta Phogat and Babita Kumari, to become world-class wrestlers.

“When I watched ‘Dangal’ with Chinese subtitles a few years ago, I noticed an uncanny resemblance between the wrestlers’ father and my own. My father was a hard taskmaster, much like the father portrayed in the film. I feel he was even tougher on me,” Chen Shih-hsin said.

The Olympic legend, whose father owned a Taekwondo training center and introduced her to martial arts at the tender age of five, confessed she once “despised” his “relentless push.” This led her to run away from home, only to reunite with him years later and embark on a journey that culminated in an Olympic gold medal—reminiscent of the story portrayed in “Dangal.”

“Yes, you could call me a chip off the old block when it comes to inheriting my father’s grit and toughness, similar to the characters in ‘Dangal,'” she added.

Chen Shih-hsin etched her name in the history books when she won the gold medal in the women’s 49-kilogram category in Taekwondo at the 2004 Summer Olympics. She now teaches approximately 100 children at her Taekwondo school in the rural township of Xinfeng, near Taiwan’s semiconductor hub, Hsinchu, according to the report.

“Dangal” continues to be India’s highest-grossing movie, making over Rs 2000 crore, followed by “Baahubali 2,” which made over Rs 1700 crore, and “RRR,” which made over Rs 1200 crore.