A true inspiration from a fantabulous biopic

Rating: 10/10 (15 July 2013)

The first time I learnt about 'Milkha Singh' was when I was ten years old. Preparing for a GK quiz, I had to remember the sobriquet 'Flying Sikh' by heart. Little did I know then the value of the greatest sporting sobriquet in Indian sport at least.
So, what's great about Milkha Singh that we call him legendary or one of the greatest athletes India has ever produced? Neither did I know the answer prior to watching 'Bhaag Milkha..'. But when I decided to learn, answers were aplenty.
Milkha Singh had lost only 3 races out of the 80, he participated. Though Milkha finished fourth at the 1960 Rome Olympics, it was still a track record bettering the previous records. So much that five decades after Milkha Singh, with the aid of foreign coaches and training and nutrition, the best 400m time is a silly 0.12 seconds better than that of Milkha (set by K M Binu at Athens Olympics but this wasn't even enough to take Binu past the heats). Shockingly Surprising. There are more but out of the purview of my review.
Back to the reviews, the movie is as grand as the above fact. Bollywood's finest answer to 'chariots of fire', the fabula is the actual story of Milkha Singh, but what pushes this biopic to the next level is the syuzhet – the way the story unfolds on the big screen; in a series of analepsis.
From enthralling race sequences to a terrifying partition tell-tale to some breath-taking romantic moments, Binod Pradhan captures the subtle nuances that you even forget to wink your eye. Background score by trio, Shanker Ehsaan Loy is adequately top notch.
'Agar Milkha bangaya India, Farhan bangaya Milkha!!' No actor, living or dead, Indian or foreign could have suited to Milkha's role or acted like Farhan Akhtar did. An epitome of elegance and dedication, Farhan infused soul into the movie. Each and every scene is a mark of his versatility and he delivers with an intricate charm, impeccably. There are scenes ranging from boyish romance to scenes where he fights with the ghosts of his past, to scenes that show his perseverance after he loses the 1956 Olympics and are an absolute delight to watch, particularly the way he trains himself after the 1956 loss. It just makes you feel that you are watching the legend himself on the silver screen.
Don't expect a regular 'coke and pop-corn' style story. Though many people complained that the movie is lengthy, I was never bored, but also felt that each and every frame was well thought, penned and screen-played.
A magnificent tale woven around a childhood trauma and a tantalizing agony of not winning an Olympic medal in athletics, a story of will and hope, a celebration of athletic spirit, a truly inspiring and motivating biopic, coupled with a fantabulous movie-making by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag makes an exhilarating watch, without any second thought.
Arguably, one of the finest sporting movies, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag will go into the annals of Bollywood filmmaking just like the legend. And a film worthy of winning an Oscar for India, this year.
And yes, don't miss the beginning.