Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

Five weekends, five movies. It’s a record of sorts for us.

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is a journey of a young boy, Milkha Singh, from being an innocent victim of 1947 partition to the World Running Champion ‘Flying Sikh’. The film beautifully portrays his innocent youth, his drive and ambition, his fears and lastly his triumph over the past.

bhaagmilkhabhaag

Farhan Akhtar as Milkha Singh is not only convincing but has done a tremendous job.  He has worked hard to get in the character and you can see that in his chiseled body; from bulging biceps to the visible veins. Farhan looks and acts like a true Sardar too. He breaks into a Bhangra as effortlessly as he runs. Supporting him in his journey is a medley of seasoned actors like Pawan Malhotra, Divya Dutta, Sonam Kapoor, Yograj Singh and Prakash Raj. Though visible in small roles, their contribution is important and worth mentioning. To keep up the interest quotient, the film is pepped up with love story, short but sizzling romance, dancing in the pub and India-Pakistan racing championship. Songs like Maston Ka Jhund and Slow Motion Angreza are fun numbers while Zinda is inspiring.

The rumour mill has it that Milkha Singh had offers up to Rs. 1 Crore for his life story but he chose to sell his biography to Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra for Re. 1. Any guesses, why? Keeping his promise and trust, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has done full justice to it. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is an ode to the Flying Sikh.

On the negative side, the film is quite long. Milkha’s athletic training is interesting and inspiring to watch but frequent flash backs, superfluous love stories and song and dance sequences make the film slow and boring in some parts.

Verdict: Watch it if you love Farhan Akhtar and the slow pace doesn’t bother you.