The day I first watched the trailer of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, the first thing I wanted to imagine is to replace Farhan Akhtar in the lead but did not find the right choice. As I watched the movie in the theatre and witnessed his fabulous performance, I became sure that no one else, but Farhan could have done justice to the role. The acting was so natural and powerful that as an audience, you certainly find yourself pretty much involved in what’s happening on screen.
Based on the true-life story of India’s ace world champion runner and Olympian Milkha Singh, the film Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is a treat to watch that leaves a lasting impression, long after you leave the theatre. Being a biopic, the film is well directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (of Rang de Basanti fame), who took the challenge to make a film on a living sports legend that demanded much clarity and coherence.
As the film is based on the life of legendary athlete Milkha Singh, it was bound to create a buzz much before its release. The film has been well-received by filmgoers as well as critics. One of the interesting aspects of this film is that even though it’s a sports film, it has all the ingredients to make it a high-drama big-budget commercial flick. It has almost everything, the pain of losing a family, the love interest of a restless man, and a dream to achieve something big.
There is no point to write a synopsis of this movie. In its three-hour long run-time, the film covers almost all aspects of the life of Milkha Singh: starting from the day of partition when he saw his family members killed by Pakistani Muslims then leaving his birthplace and living in a refugee camp in Delhi, and later surviving by stealing with his friends, and then to his romantic life and finally joining Indian army and representing the country in many sports events with success as well as failure.
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is truly inspirational. Yes, we all had known Milkha but the film brought him much closer to us. While Akhtar delivers what we desire in a biopic on Milkha Singh, the supporting cast such as Divya Dutta as Milkha’s sister and Pavan Malhotra as his mentor are all amazing. In addition, Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy’s music to Prasoon Joshi’s lyrics creates magic. All in all, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is a must-watch film; however, please do not expect much from the sports angle, this is after all an Indian story with much drama and emotion in play.
Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
Writer: Prasoon Joshi
Based on The Race of My Life by Milkha Singh and Sonia Sanwalka
Cast: Farhan Akhtar, Sonam Kapoor, Dalip Tahil, Prakash Raj, Divya Dutta
Music: Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy
Cinematography: Binod Pradhan
Release date: 12 July 2013
Where to watch Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013)
