New Delhi: A two-minute clip of a 19-year-old boy from Almora in Uttarakhand running in Noida near Delhi at mightnight is winning the heart of the nation. National Award-winning filmmaker Vinod Kapri had captured Pradeep Mehra, the young boy, from his car as he saw him running down the Noida road to his house. The video has gone viral.
The filmmaker offered Pradeep Mehra a lift, but he politely refused. Pradeep works at a McDonald’s outlet in Sector 16 in Noida and runs every night around 10 km to keep himself in shape because he harbours the dreams to join the Indian Army. Kapri continued to film him as he ran.
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“This is PURE GOLD. Last night at 12 o’clock on the road of Noida, I saw this boy running very fast with a bag on his shoulder. I thought he could be in trouble so I should offer him a lift. I repeatedly offered him a lift but he declined. You will fall in love with this child if you get to know the reason,” Kapri tweeted and shared the inspiring video of Pradeep Mishra on his social media. It didn’t take long for netizens to shower love on the young boy.
In the video, Kapri is saying, “Come, I will drop you home.” To which, Pradeep replied, “No, no, I will run and go home. I don’t get time to run.” When he was asked as to why he was running and not taking any help, he said, “I want to join the army, that’s why I’m running.”
In the interaction, the boy revealed that he is a resident of Uttarakhand’s Almora but stays with his elder brother in the city. Since he does not have time in the morning to run due to work, he prefers to do it during this time. The Pihu director also offers him to have dinner with them. But he again refuses. Pradeep said that he will return home and cook for himself and his elder brother. When asked why his elder brother didn’t cook while he is at work, Pradeep revealed, he keeps busy at night shift.
From deputy chief minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia, Congress leader Digvijaya Singh to cricketers Harbhajan Singh, Kevin Pieterson and industrialist Anand Mahindra, several people have lauded the hard work and determination of the teenage boy. Many netizens have also talked about the hardships people face in India.
