Review of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013) by Prashant C — 20 Jul 2013

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is the epitome of what a Sports Biopic is all about, stirring performances, slow motion pieces, emotional background and goose bump inducing moments galore.

Rakesysh Om Prakash Mehra who gave us Rang De Basanti but also Dilli 6 is in supreme fettle and is blessed with Farhan Akhtar in the title role. What is something that this fella can't do!! After wearing the hats of talented Director, passionate script-writer, soulful singer and now wonderful method Actor. Lawrence Olivier the legendary actor when confronted about a scene done by Dustin Hoffman in which he was not supposed to have slept for three days, as to how he did it, Dustin said he actually didn't sleep for 3 days. Sir Olivier retorted that ''Why don't you just try acting''. Robert De Niro trained as a boxer for Raging Bull and fought boxing matches in Brooklyn and gained 27 kgs while Christian Bale lost 27 kgs for 'The Machinist'.

In the 18 months of diligent preparation for this film, Farhan Akhtar transformed himself into Milkha Singh and while watching the film you are really made to believe that you are watching a young Milkha Singh and not an actor. There is always the chance that all the build-up in the tiring preparations may go to waste if the actor is not able to handle the gravitas of the role by Farhan nails it. The muscular build-up on the lines of Brad Pitt in "The Fight Club'' gives more than ample credence to his being perfect for the role and his emoting grows leaps and bounds from Rock On days. Sonam Kapoor shines in a small role where she smiles and blushes at the right moments in the right doses to leave more than a lasting impression. It's the supporting cast that takes the cake and the cherry led by Divya Dutta who plays Milkha's elder sister and makes your eyes wet every time she in on the screen,oozing maternal instinct in extreme doses, Pavan Malhotra and Yograj Singh (father of cricketer Yuvraj Singh) as the coaches of Milkha Singh elevate the film to Cult status. The songs are in line with the tempo of the film and the Cinematography uses the various color palettes to amplify the different eras in the movie timeline. Prasoon Joshi spins a good yarn and Rakesh Mehra is the perfect Captain of the Ship, even putting in a blink if you miss role as a Pilot. This inspirational film shall become the next Movie after Chak De India to be played over and over again to various Motivation seekers and could be a good shot at the Foreign Film Oscars if the makers are ready to trim 30 minutes of the film to make it crisp and more impactful.

BMB brings to light and focus the Flying Sikh in all the well-deserved glory, which many of his fellow country men are not aware in its entirety.