Remembering Sunil Thapa: The Perfect Coach for Priyanka Chopra in Mary Kom

Nepali actor Sunil Thapa, known for his memorable portrayal of Priyanka Chopra Jonas’ boxing coach in the film Mary Kom, passed away at the age of 68 due to a cardiac episode. Filmmaker Omung Kumar, who directed this inspiring film, fondly remembers his collaboration with Thapa.

Omung shared that they were searching for an actor with the right physique and an expressive face to fit the coach's character. After watching a video of Thapa, he felt an immediate connection, recalling Thapa's earlier performance in Ek Duuje Ke Liye (1981).

He believes that casting Thapa was almost fated. Two years prior to Mary Kom's production, Omung had sketched the coach's character, and upon meeting Thapa, he realized that the sketch resembled him perfectly. Additionally, Thapa became a source of strength for Priyanka during a challenging time, as her father passed away just before the filming began in 2013. By the film's conclusion, Thapa had become a father figure to her.

Sunil Thapa had an illustrious career, appearing in over 300 Nepali films. He was particularly renowned for his iconic role as Rate Kaila in the movie Chino and was last seen in The Family Man Season 3.