Mary Kom: Priyanka Chopra Biopic Showed Only 10% of Struggle

Twelve years after Mary Kom hit theatres, the boxing champion has offered a frank postscript: the Priyanka Chopra biopic showed only a fraction of her real life. Speaking days after her eviction from the Bigg Boss 20 house, Mary Kom said the film captured “only 10 per cent” of her struggle and hard work.

The London 2012 Olympics bronze medallist also shut the door on a sequel, saying her story is already out there — on screen and in her book, Unbreakable.

Only a fraction on screen

In an interview with The Indian Express, Mary Kom did not dismiss the 2014 film entirely, but she made it clear it was not the complete picture. “I felt some parts of the story were not real,” she said, adding that readers would understand the extent of her struggle only through her book.

That message reframes the film for fans: it was an introduction, not the whole journey.

No sequel, she says

Asked whether a follow-up should be made, Mary said she did not believe one was necessary because so much of her career and personal arc had already been told. “I don’t think there should be a sequel now; everybody knows my story,” she said.

Her comments arrive years after Priyanka Chopra publicly questioned her own casting in the film.

Priyanka’s own doubts

In a 2022 Vanity Fair interview, Priyanka said she had been sceptical at first because Mary Kom was a living icon. She also acknowledged that she physically did not resemble the Manipuri boxer. “In hindsight, the part should have probably gone to someone from the Northeast,” she said.

Still, Priyanka took the role after the filmmakers insisted, and she trained for nearly five months to learn boxing and build an athlete’s physique.

Here is a quick look at the film:

• Released: 2014, directed by Omung Kumar.
• Lead: Priyanka Chopra, who won the National Award for Best Actress.
• Subject: Mary Kom, a six-time world amateur boxing champion.

From the ring to Bigg Boss

Mary Kom’s personal life has been under scrutiny since her separation from husband Onler Kom became public in 2025. She later alleged she had been cheated financially; Onler denied the allegations and made counterclaims.

Before joining the reality show, Mary told India Today she wanted viewers to see her beyond sport. “I have been loved and respected for so long, but the kind of pain I went through in the past, only I know about it,” she said, adding that she had been portrayed in a bad light and wanted to tell her truth.

Why this matters for filmi fans

For Hindi film audiences, the biopic remains the most visible version of Mary Kom’s story. Her latest comments are a reminder that a two-hour film compresses a life, and that the deeper account may lie elsewhere — in this case, in Unbreakable.

It also keeps the representation conversation alive: Priyanka has already said the role should probably have gone to someone from the Northeast, and Mary’s own words suggest the real story was bigger than the film could hold.

Source: India Today