Bhag Milkha Bhag

In a country that worships only cricket and movies, it is strange that there is no blockbuster movie (except Lagaan) that is all about cricket or cricketers. Cricketers have tried their hand at acting from time to time but never quite made the transition. Whether it was cricketer Salim Durani who acted in Ishaara (1973) or Sunil Gavaskar who acted in a failed Marathi film Savli Premachi, no one has been able to make a mark as an actor.Chak De India (2007) was a film about sports that got it right. They turned field hockey for women into something aspirational – briefly. You might say Iqbal was about cricket, but it failed to connect to the masses. Most people will not be able to name any track and field athlete other than PT Usha and Milkha Singh. This is where the silver screen can sprinkle magic dust that encourages more youngsters to take up sports as a profession.So when a sports person is the subject of a biopic that in itself is a cause for celebration. Bhag Milkha Bhag directed by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra makes running glamorous again. Most Indians know Milkha Singh as the “Flying Sikh” but few remember that he finished fourth in the 400 meters at the Rome Olympics, missing out on a bronze medal in a photo finish. Rome had been awarded the organization of the 1908 Summer Olympics, but after the 1906 eruption of Mount Vesuvius, was forced to decline and pass the honors to London. It was only in 1960 that Rome hosted the Olympics. That is where Milkha Singh shattered the dreams of a nation. This is a clip of the real Flying Sikh missing his big moment.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlKLYSnSLVIBhag Milkha Bhag is in the final analysis a film about missed opportunities. For instance, this one will never be known as the director’s best work. The film just does not stir us the same way that a Rang De Basanti (2006) did. The music of this film certainly does not have the magic that Shankar Ehsaan Loy created for Dil Chahta Hai. Neither does the screenplay of Bhag Milkha Bhag by Prasoon Joshi achieve the effect of a Delhi 6 nor do his lyrics touch the heights that the lyrics of Taare Zameen Par did. The song that deserves a special mention is O Rangrez sung by Shreya Ghoshal and Javed Bashir.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4eicg7vFJa4There are many other missed opportunities like Sonam Kapoor who plays a starry eyed village girl who is in love with the young Milkha as he goes off to the Army. Her role is limited to smiling coyly until she disappears abruptly from the screen and Milkha’s life.The bright spark of the film was Farhan Akhtar. He trained himself until he crafted the physique of an Olympian. It is through his physique that Farhan tries to get the audience to suspend their disbelief and forget that it is actually an actor who is playing Milkha. He manages to connect with the audience and delivers a powerhouse performance.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4vC0jvyFwMWhy did Milkha miss his moment of glory? The film could have explored why our sports people are often blamed for not having the “killer instinct” that is needed to win. Was that the reason why Milkha failed? The explanation in the film was too simplistic. That was the greatest opportunity that could turn the film beyond being just another biopic. A biopic need not be only a documentary of life events. A skilled biographer gives the audience insight into human character. Otherwise it can only be as exciting as the life of the central character. The film too, in many ways, like Milkha came very close to winning but did not.Call it a coincidence. The day I went to watch Bhag Milkha Bhag, I came across the story of India’s first “blade runner”. Thirty nine year old Major Devender Pal Singh, survived a bomb blast during the Kargil war that almost killed him. This spunky soldier fought back by becoming India’s first blade runner. He participated in half marathon held in 1999 in Delhi. He has, since then, run several marathons that leave his stump injured and bleeding due to ill-fitting prosthetics. India’s blade runner is now trying to raise funds to get a high quality custom fitted prosthetic so that he can continue his dream of running marathons. Here is another real life hero who displays the same determination that Milkha showed. I only hope that he finally wins the race against himself.Bhag Major Bhag.------------------Join me on twitter at @AbhijitBhaduri