Flying Sikh is flying high on success of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag
News
oi-IANS
By Ians English
India's
fastest
runner,
Milkha
Singh
cannot
stop
smiling
at
the
turn
of
events
due
to
the
biopic
made
on
his
life.
This
legendary
athlete
is
running
fast
again,
this
time
at
the
box
office.
He
has
been
receiving
hundreds
of
calls
and
congratulatory
messages
since
the
release
of
Bhaag
Milkha
Bhaag.
"My
phone
has
not
stopped
ringing
ever
since
the
film
released.
I
am
getting
hundreds
of
calls
from
all
over
the
world.
I
am
on
the
phone
all
day
receiving
congratulatory
calls.
Badhaai
pe
badhaai
aaye
jaa
rahi
hai," said
Milkha.
The
most
surprising
call
that
Milkha
Singh
got
was
from
former
American
sprinter
Carl
Lewis.
"Yes,
Carl
Lewis
called
me.
He
saw
the
film
and
was
very
moved.
He
couldn't
follow
the
Hindi
dialogues,
but
he
saw
it
with
an
Indian
friend
who
explained
the
dialogues
to
him.
He
is
a
world-acknowledged
runner
and
has
won
gold
medals
in
the
Olympics.
He
is
one
of
the
greatest
sprinters
in
the
world.
He
wants
to
send
me
a
gift
of
appreciation.
I
told
him
there
was
no
need
for
that.
I
am
just
too
overwhelmed.
There
are
long
queues
at
cinema
halls
to
see
this
film,
" exclaimed
Milkha.
This
jubilant
runner
is
very
thankful
to
the
crew
of
Bhaag
Milkha
Bhaaag.
"The
entire
credit
for
the
film's
success
must
go
to
director
Rakeysh
Mehra,
writer
Prasoon
Joshi,
editor
P.S.
Bharathi
and
Farhan
Akhtar
for
portraying
me
with
such
conviction,
and
also
to
Divya
Dutta
for
bringing
my
sister's
role
alive.
And
to
Viacom
18
for
co-producing
the
film
with
Rakeysh.
If
it
wasn't
for
the
entire
team
and
their
belief
in
the
project,
my
story
would
not
have
been
told
so
persuasively.
So
many
athletes
have
come
and
gone
unsung.
I
think
I
am
very
fortunate," Milkha
expressed
with
gratitude.
Milkha
talks
about
the
message
of
his
story
which
everyone
can
connect
to.
"The
message
that
if
you
try,
you
can
be
another
Milkha
is
very
strongly
put
across
in
the
film.
I
wanted
youngsters
to
be
so
moved
by
my
story
of
struggle
that
they
are
inspired
into
doing
something
worthwhile.
And
that's
exactly
what's
happening.
All
those
who
have
seen
the
film
have
come
out
weeping.
It's
not
just
sportsmen
who
are
connecting
with
my
story,
even
businessmen
and
professionals
are...
they
are
getting
the
message
that
the
only
route
to
success
is
hard
work
and
willpower.
When
I
saw
the
film
for
the
first
time,
I
couldn't
believe
they
had
done
such
a
fine
job
of
putting
my
life
into
a
three-hour
film."
Milkha
Singh
is
extremely
happy
with
Farhan's
performance.
"He
is
exactly
how
I
wanted
to
see
myself
on
screen.
Full
credit
to
Rakeysh
Mehra
for
seeing
me
in
Farhan.
Many
actors,
including
Akshay
Kumar
wanted
to
play
Milkha
Singh.
But
the
boy
(Farhan)
has
done
kamaal
(marvelous).
He
has
replicated
me
on
screen.
He
even
resembles
me.
The
body
language
and
the
discipline
Farhan
adopted
to
play
me...
yeh
koi
maamooli
baat
nahin
hai
(it
was
not
easy),"
said
the
Flying
Sikh.
He
credits
his
son
ace-golfer
Jeev
Singh
for
encouraging
the
project.
"I
have
no
idea
about
movies
and
the
film
industry.
I
haven't
seen
any
film
since
1960.
My
son
was
impressed
by
Rakeysh
Mehra's
Rang
De
Basanti.
Jeev
told
me
if
I
have
to
let
my
story
go
on
as
a
movie,
it
must
be
done
by
Rakeysh
Mehra.
Before
Rakeysh,
three
to
four
directors
had
approached
me.
They
even
offered
me
substantial
amounts
of
money.
But
I
opted
to
let
Rakeysh
Mehra
tell
my
story."
Milkha
Singh
took
just
a
token
fee
of
Rs
1
for
Bhaag
Milkha
Bhaag.
However,
it
was
decided
that
if
the
film
makes
profits,
some
of
it
would
go
into
the
Milkha
Singh
Charity
Trust.
"We
distribute
medicines
to
the
poor,
encourage
promising
athletes
and
help
retired
sportsmen.
In
our
country,
sports
persons
are
given
no
financial
succour.
I
have
seen
so
much
poverty
and
hardship.
Believe
me,
the
film
shows
only
20
percent
of
my
sufferings.
They
couldn't
show
all
my
pain.
Prasoon
Joshi
has
suggested
another
film.
I've
told
him
to
wait
and
see
how
far
Bhaag
Milkha
Bhaag
goes."
Milkha
Singh
now
has
one
unfulfilled
wish.
"The
gold
medal
that
slipped
out
of
my
hand
in
the
Rome
Olympics
must
come
to
us.
Before
I
leave
this
world
I
want
one
Indian
youngster
to
go
get
that
medal
for
our
country.
That's
my
last
wish."