5 Indian Olympic triumphs that deserve to be preserved on celluloid

1) The roller coaster Olympic journey of Kashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav

Khashaba Dadasaheb Jadhav - India's 'Pocket Dynamo' who created history at Helsinki Olympics in 1952

A wrestler gives it his all to win India's first individual Olympic medal. He is brought back with huge fanfare to his village, with a procession of 101 bullock carts escorting him to his home. However, he died penniless and unsung in a motor accident in the town of Karad on 14 August 1984.

This is not a piece of fiction but the actual story of Khashaba Dadashaeb Jadhav. India did win five consecutive gold medals in hockey prior to that, but that was a team sport. Jadhav's medal was India's first individual Olympic medal, and it was certainly not an easy journey.

Jadhav lived a colorful life. Wrestling ran in his blood. He also participated in the Quit India movement against the British and gave shelter to the rebels. The Satara native's talent was spotted, ironically, by British coach Rees Gardner, who recommended he compete at the London Olympics.

Despite having no previous experience of fighting on the mat, KD Jadhav finished in a respectable sixth position on debut. However, it was in Helsinki when he claimed the ultimate glory. Denied a mandatory 30-minute rest period before a bout with Rashid Mammadbeyov, he lost to the Russian and with it, a shot at the gold medal. Nevertheless, he went on to beat wrestlers from Canada, Mexico and Germany to secure bronze.