But without having known much about Milkha Singh, it’s difficult to say whether the biopic did justice to the life story and struggles of India’s best-known runner, the Flying Sikh, Milkha Singh. However, perhaps if the audience was well acquainted with the heroism of Milkha Singh and shared the same patriotism towards India that the movie evokes, ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ would have succeeded in making a greater impact. Perhaps such audiences would have been able to feel more proud of the athlete and his success. [break]
Film: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra
Cast : Farhan Akhtar, Sonam Kapoor, Prakash Raj, Divya Dutta
The movie begins with the Rome Olympics in 1960 where Milkha Singh (Farhan Akhtar) lost a winning race. We get a peek into the wounds of the 1947 partition of India that Milkha still carries as a champion athlete. Milkha’s life story then unfolds in bits – his struggles as a child refugee, his love story with Biru (Sonam Kapoor) and the transformation from a boy from a remote village to a world-record holding athlete.
While Farhan Akhtar is naturally fitting for this role, the supporting cast such as Divya Dutta (who plays Milkha’s elder sister), Pavan Malhotra (as Milkha’s first trainer) and Yograj Singh (as Milkha’s coach) give incredible performances as well. Sonam Kapoor’s role in the movie is very brief, although it is said that this love story with her character was one of the pivotal moments in Milkha Singh’s life. The performance of Japtej Singh as the young Milkha is also applaudable, especially during the climax when the audience gets to see the traumatic memory that Milkha has of his whole family getting killed.
Screening at QFX
Cinemas.