WHEN he is not busy honing his craft, former ONE Welterweight World Title challenger Agilan “Alligator” Thani (pix) is honing his love for flicks.
The Kuala Lumpur-based martial artist favors movies with inspirational messages. One movie that has always impressed the Sentul native is the 1994 blockbuster Forrest Gump.
When he first watched the film directed by Robert Zemeckis as a kid, Agilan could not connect with the comedy-drama flick.
But after re-watching the classic several times, “Alligator” admits he learned a lot from Forrest Gump’s story – portrayed by Tom Hanks – as Agilan himself went from an overweight teenager to one of the country’s leading martial artists.
“It was hard for me to absorb the message behind it when I was younger, but after watching it again and again, I finally understood what this movie is all about,” he said.
“When you want something so badly, you have to put your mind to it. With that, there’s no stopping you from succeeding.”
The box office hit tells the story of Gump, a young boy fitted with leg braces who is unable to walk properly due to a curved spine. He was raised by his mother who told him that he is no different from anyone else.
One day when he was being chased by bullies, Gump’s braces fall off, and he discovered that he had a unique ability. This changed the way he looked at life; he joined his high school football team, secured a scholarship in sport at the University of Alabama, and joined the US Army.
Throughout the film, Gump triumphs in other sports too, even running three and a half years across the country after his girlfriend, Jenny, declines his marriage proposal.
“At the end of the day, you have to believe in yourself. I think it’s simple as that,” Agilan said.
“Whether it was him running aimlessly, in the army, football, or beating a table tennis champion. He was the best because he gave it his all.
“I feel the same about myself. I know there are days where we win and lose, but at the end of the night it is all about whether you gave it your best shot. If you have, then that itself can be considered as a success.”
