The pure accomplishments of Milkha Singh have been highly celebrated and it has finally been turned into a reel story for viewers across the world. ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ is a slice of filmic art that intertwines the life of a sportsman and the several incidents that directed him to fame. Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s flick is an honour to the legendary sportsman. He undoubtedly thrives in pulling off Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. The film doesn’t have any shortcomings when illustrating the life of Milkha Singh and it confidently leaves you speechless.
The dividing walls of India in 1947 created unfathomable wounds to the lives of many and Milkha Singh was a victim of an event that shaped history. Milkha Singh, effortlessly played Farhan Akhtar is a champion who is repeatedly troubled by his past. The demise of his family members on his terrace leaves him with deep wounds that have been unsuccessful to heal with time. His dad’s last words “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag” echoes in his ears time and again which clatters his senses. Milkha has to factually run for his life. This shady occurrence subsequently gives him the needed enhancement to his career as an athlete when he grows up. Awful conditions land an orphaned Milkha in a refugee camp. He unites with his sister Isri played by Divya Dutta who is his only courage. We see an adolescent Milkha converts into a street-smart chap who steals to make his ends meet. The makeover doesn’t end as he came across the love of his life enacted by Sonam Kapoor. To triumph her heart – Milkha leaves petty stealing and undertakes a responsible job by which he joins the Indian Army. Throughout a training session Milkha is spotted by his trainer performed by Pawan Malhotra, who notices the athlete in him. With him Milkha’s story of the utmost victory begins aka the Flying Sikh.
Farhan Akhtar as Milkha is an outright luxury to watch. No one could have reinterpreted the role of the athlete but him – A truly praiseworthy performance from an extraordinary actor. Sonam has very little screen time but she carries out her role very well. But the actors who add colour to the movie are Pawan Malhotra, Yograj Singh with Prakash Raj and they have pulled off magnificent performances worth loud applause from audiences worldwide. The movie on the whole is charming but has definite faults that could have been avoided. If the run time of the film was shorter the overall flow of the movie would have been a lot tighter and compact. Prasoon Joshi textures the story with countless emotions but the one that stands out is Milkha’s love for his country which is India. The music by Shankar-Ehasaan-Loy is like breathe of fresh air which added life to the amazing tale. The cinematography was impeccable as well as the creative direction and sets deserve recognition. The director of photography Binod Pradhan was great in his part of visually refashioning colossal houseful stadiums!
‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ might not move or amaze a regular moviegoer as it comes across as a very slow film. But it will confidently leave you with a feeling of pride as an Indian- you will be left teary eyed and your head held high because we finally got a chance to turn the story of a real life hero into a reel life hero. As an Indian , even if you aren’t from India – Bhaag Milkha Bhaag leaves you full of pride and honour. This amazing masterpiece gets an 8.5/10 from me and it is a must watch because Mehra goes beyond the usual biopic with this one.