Epic. Inspirational. Patriotic

Rating: 9/10 (20 July 2013)

2013 has been a good year for Bollywood with a number of movies finding the right balance between entertainment and art, such as Special 26, Kai Po Che, and Raanjhanaa. But nothing like Bhaag Milkha Bhaag has happened to Bollywood in a long time, maybe not since Chak De India. At once inspirational and believable, there is no way one cannot identify with the pain and the joy of being Milkha Singh, the poster child for India's track and field achievements.
One is not born a world class athlete, and the story of Milkha is no different. Who is Milkha Singh? Kudos to Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra for making us care for this question by humanizing the character to the utmost. He tends to blow hot (Rang De Basanti) or cold (Delhi 6, Aks) but here he is red hot.
When it is a Farhan Akhtar movie there has to be flashbacks and non linearity, right (Dil Chahata Hai, Rock On, Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara)? The story begins with defeat at Rome Olympics as Milkha repeatedly looks back, and immediately we jump into the reasons for the same in Multan, around partition, as young Milkha, played with exuberance by Japtej Singh is on the run for his life from his parents' killers. Scarred in mind he is brought up by his sister, (a now habitually great Divya Dutt) and straightened from his devious past by the love of his life Sonam Kapoor, and mentored by supportive coaches, Milkha has an arduous path to become the flying Sikh. He might have taken to running just for the extra rations, but his talent, dedication, hard work, and discipline ensures his legacy.
This is an out and out Farhan Akhtar movie- he is the heart and soul of it, he is there in every frame. This is a career defining role for him, how much has he grown as a method actor. The amount of effort he has taken to get into the character of Milkha is phenomenal. Right from the look and physique, to the mannerisms and the dressing sense- he is an absolute delight. When he does the bhangra, i bet there are few Sardars who can do it better. The supporting cast comprising of Pavan Malhotra, Dalip Tahil, KK Raina, and Prakash Raj is spot on. The script by Prasoon Joshi has beautifully woven blood, sweat, tears and true grit which makes it such a motivational tale. The music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy is spot on, while the cinematography by Binod Pradhan is excellent.
Roger Ebert famously said- "No good movie is too long and no bad movie short enough".
At 3 hrs Bhaag Milkha Bhaag could have been 20 minutes shorter and still had the same impact, but the extra duration in a way just prolongs the involvement. Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is a stupendous achievement overall. It is a movie and there is over dramatization, but there is a tremendous amount of heart that has gone into it, and hence the indelible impact it leaves- 9/10