Rickshaw driver's daughter Deepika Kumari aims to hit the bullseye

RANCHI: Bollywood is into biopics these days. Paan Singh Tomar, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, Mary Kom and Azhar have found takers while MS Dhoni: The Untold Story is due for release. Some have already called for a biopic of Saina Nehwal, with the player herself suggesting Deepika Padukone in the lead role. But a far more fascinating biopic, if it is ever made, could be of Deepika Kumari - the archer prodigy from Jharkhand, the former junior world champion who's aiming for gold in Rio.
Few know that Deepika, now 22, once practised with homemade bows and arrows aiming at the mangoes in an orchard near their home. And that her father Shivpujan Mahato still ferries passengers in his auto-rickshaw while her daughter carries the Olympic medal hopes of a billion plus nation. Which is why the distance between Rio to Ratu, her birthplace located 15 kms from Ranchi, cannot be gauged only by nautical miles.
The landmark year in Deepika's life was 2005, when she insisted on pursuing a career in archery . At the time, her parents earned Rs 1,500 per month. "They lived in a modest hut. The family took months to replace the khapras (broken tiles) on the roof. They could not afford a maid. When at home, Deepika helped her mother do the dishes and the laundry," recalls neighbour Sadhucharan Mahato.
Not knowing what to do, Shivpujan took her 11-year-old daughter to the then chief minister Arjun Munda's wife Meera, who runs an archery academy in Kharsawan. Deepika had so much self-belief that she told Meera, "Just give me three months. And please throw me out if I don't perform".
The following year, she joined the Tata Archery Academy at Jamshedpur, which has churned out international archers by the dozen.
There she first laid her hands on proper equipment. She also started receiving Rs 500 per month as stipend, making her parents' job easier. Deepika never look back. She became the second Indian to win the junior compound competition the same year, at the Archery World Cup in Merida, Mexico. But she went home only after winning the Youth World Archery Championship in Ogden, US in 2009. Aged only 15 then, she struck gold in women's team recurve alongside Dola Banerjee and Bombayla Devi.
The gold medals (individual and team recurve) in the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games heightened everyone's expectations but she missed out on the individual gold in the Guangzhou Asian Games later that year.
2012 was the most unforgettable year in Deepika's career. She won her first World Cup individual gold in Antalya. But flopped at the London Olympics. Shooting with fever and in strong wind, Deepika lost to Amy Oliver of Great Britain in the opening round. Ironically, she went on to become the world No. 1 that year.
In the last three years, Deepika has never returned empty-handed from world events, winning the yellow metal at Medellin, Colombia in 2013. Last year she claimed silver in the team event with Laxmirani Majhi and Rimil Buriuly. The silver in mixed team event with Jayanta Talukdar at Asian Championships in November capped the year.
One of the finest moments of her career came in April this year when she equalled the world record (686720) set by North Korea's Ki Bo-bae during the first stage of the World Cup held in Shanghai. It is only natural to pin hopes on the Ratu girl once again.