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Rating: ****1/2*
As we all know, this movie portrays the life of “The Flying Sikh”, Milkha Singh, an Indian athlete, beautifully enacted by Frahan Akhtar (adult) and Master Japtej Singh (young), on the screen. The movie opens with 1960 Rome Olympics, where we see Milkha Singh running, rather leading the race but he turns back, as if trying to see the thing that has been haunting him for a long long time and that’s when he starts losing. “Bhag Milkha bhag” his coach encourages him, but he could never recover and finishes fourth. Our then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, wishes that Milkha Singh should lead the Indian team to Pakistan for friendly races, which Milkha Singh denies. Why everyone questions. Is it because he lost in Rome Olympics? Or is there some other deep dark secrete in his life? And here’s where the flash back, that narrates the story of how Milkha Singh became Milkha Singh begins.
“Suna ha bachpan mein Pakistan chhod ke bhage the. Tab se lekar aaj tak bhaag hi rahe hai.” the Pakistan team coach teases Milkha before one of the races, which, to some extent was true. “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag” is what Milkha had heard since his childhood, be it from his father to run for his life and reach India or from his friends, and that’s what he always did, he ran. “Kudrat ka bana banaya tha. Heere ko bas tarashna tha.” is how his coach defines Milkha. He had everything that a sportsperson needs, the strength, the dedication, the willingness to put in efforts and do the hard work. Milkha Singh was very modest and had his own ways of showing gratitude. When he finally wins the “India” blazer, he gives it to his sister, for her love, care and support were the reasons for his well being. He gives his medals to his “guruji” as if guruji had won them.
Prasoon Joshi has done a mind blowing job with the script and the lyrics and Rakesh Omprakash Mehra has beautifully retold the story. This team keeps you glued to your seats for 188 minutes and there’s no time when you can even think of having a loo break or checking your texts. The team actually forces you to live the whole story. The music and background score by Shankar Ehsan and Loy is ecstatic, and the singers have done full justice to the songs. My personal favorites were “O rangreez” and “Slow motion agnrez”.
Farhan Akhtar has put his heart and soul to bring Milkha Singh live on screen. The innocence on Farhan’s face when he tries hard but does not understand a word that the Australian girls speak in English, or the pain when he runs to get selected for Olympics team, even when wounded badly, or the humour he creates on his first plane experience or the sorrow of missing his parents when he finally makes it to his childhood home is appreciable, and Master Japtej Singh did his job with equal dedication which can be observed in various scene like the fear on the face of young Milkha Singh when he sees whole of his family dead, or the notoriety in his eyes while being punished at school. All these moments makes you laugh and cry with the character.
Sonam Kapoor and Divya Dutta, though barely have any dialogues in the movie and just a few minutes of screen presence, steal the show with their acting skills. Sonam blushes, gets scared, shows fake anger, all with natural ease and Divya Dutta beautifully portrays the helplessness of being a dependent woman in the beginning of the independent era, the shame she has to face for the wrong doings of her Milkhu, the pride she has in her eyes to see Milkhu in the “India” blazer, and the perfect combination of belief she has on her brother and still the worry if he will really make it, all of this and more, silently, only through her eyes and facial expressions. It would be wrong not to mention the very short role of Ustad, very effectively played by Prakash Raj.
Why not to watch: Honestly, I don’t see a reason for that.
Why watch: To appreciate the hard work of Milkha Singh, to admire the heart and soul the whole team has put in. Watch it to see and adore flawless work in Bollywood after a long time but more importantly, watch it if you need inspiration at the moment. As for my suggestion, it’s a must watch.
As we all know, this movie portrays the life of “The Flying Sikh”, Milkha Singh, an Indian athlete, beautifully enacted by Frahan Akhtar (adult) and Master Japtej Singh (young), on the screen. The movie opens with 1960 Rome Olympics, where we see Milkha Singh running, rather leading the race but he turns back, as if trying to see the thing that has been haunting him for a long long time and that’s when he starts losing. “Bhag Milkha bhag” his coach encourages him, but he could never recover and finishes fourth. Our then Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, wishes that Milkha Singh should lead the Indian team to Pakistan for friendly races, which Milkha Singh denies. Why everyone questions. Is it because he lost in Rome Olympics? Or is there some other deep dark secrete in his life? And here’s where the flash back, that narrates the story of how Milkha Singh became Milkha Singh begins.
“Suna ha bachpan mein Pakistan chhod ke bhage the. Tab se lekar aaj tak bhaag hi rahe hai.” the Pakistan team coach teases Milkha before one of the races, which, to some extent was true. “Bhaag Milkha Bhaag” is what Milkha had heard since his childhood, be it from his father to run for his life and reach India or from his friends, and that’s what he always did, he ran. “Kudrat ka bana banaya tha. Heere ko bas tarashna tha.” is how his coach defines Milkha. He had everything that a sportsperson needs, the strength, the dedication, the willingness to put in efforts and do the hard work. Milkha Singh was very modest and had his own ways of showing gratitude. When he finally wins the “India” blazer, he gives it to his sister, for her love, care and support were the reasons for his well being. He gives his medals to his “guruji” as if guruji had won them.
Prasoon Joshi has done a mind blowing job with the script and the lyrics and Rakesh Omprakash Mehra has beautifully retold the story. This team keeps you glued to your seats for 188 minutes and there’s no time when you can even think of having a loo break or checking your texts. The team actually forces you to live the whole story. The music and background score by Shankar Ehsan and Loy is ecstatic, and the singers have done full justice to the songs. My personal favorites were “O rangreez” and “Slow motion agnrez”.
Farhan Akhtar has put his heart and soul to bring Milkha Singh live on screen. The innocence on Farhan’s face when he tries hard but does not understand a word that the Australian girls speak in English, or the pain when he runs to get selected for Olympics team, even when wounded badly, or the humour he creates on his first plane experience or the sorrow of missing his parents when he finally makes it to his childhood home is appreciable, and Master Japtej Singh did his job with equal dedication which can be observed in various scene like the fear on the face of young Milkha Singh when he sees whole of his family dead, or the notoriety in his eyes while being punished at school. All these moments makes you laugh and cry with the character.
Sonam Kapoor and Divya Dutta, though barely have any dialogues in the movie and just a few minutes of screen presence, steal the show with their acting skills. Sonam blushes, gets scared, shows fake anger, all with natural ease and Divya Dutta beautifully portrays the helplessness of being a dependent woman in the beginning of the independent era, the shame she has to face for the wrong doings of her Milkhu, the pride she has in her eyes to see Milkhu in the “India” blazer, and the perfect combination of belief she has on her brother and still the worry if he will really make it, all of this and more, silently, only through her eyes and facial expressions. It would be wrong not to mention the very short role of Ustad, very effectively played by Prakash Raj.
Key take away: “Maaf kijiyega, main aapki beizzati nahi kar raha. Meri ladai apne aap se hai”
The training to beat the world record.
And how the mug that used to store Milkha Singh’s sweat from the tough training, is replaced by a fire extinguishing bucket, showing the amount of hard work he has put in to reach his goal.
And how the mug that used to store Milkha Singh’s sweat from the tough training, is replaced by a fire extinguishing bucket, showing the amount of hard work he has put in to reach his goal.
Why watch: To appreciate the hard work of Milkha Singh, to admire the heart and soul the whole team has put in. Watch it to see and adore flawless work in Bollywood after a long time but more importantly, watch it if you need inspiration at the moment. As for my suggestion, it’s a must watch.
2 views:
Praj must appreciate your analytical skills, carefully chosen words.
Excellent review, although not seen the movie, as not being a movie buff, however, now feel like watching it.
Congrats...
Anupama Chopra in making.
wishes and awaiting another one.
Pankaj Dubey
@ Mr. Dubey, thank you very much. as you know, I'm just a beginner when it comes to review writing, but your kind and encouraging words are motivating me to continue watching more movies critically.
"Anupama Chopra in making"? oh-my-God! that's very generous, she's my favorite movie critique and she is the reason I watch movies with such in depth details. thanks, these words made my day. :)
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