‘Dhoodh ke liye daud Milkha’ (Run for milk Milkha)..!
I have always had deep rooted fascination for biopics, and BMB is a sordid tale of heroics, survival and patriotism.
ROMP returns with a tale woven straight out of ‘Flying Sikh’s’ living room. Right till his Olympic debacle that could have otherwise been a stirring chapter in our Olympics glory, Milkha’s untold story enlivens spirit with pernicious flair. My pick is the period till intermission.
The painful past, the treacherous upbringing, reluctant remains of the family, lost love, the turnover in Indian Army and conquest of being a celebrated athlete – all well knit with a litmus test in every success, and an inevitable failure amongst larger ruins. Rakesh Omprakash Mehra is back, finally.
Post interval could have been a tad shorter and consistent flip-flaps of Milkha’s past blunts a veracious effect. A biopic of a living legend is nothing short of a Herculean, yet sequences from his personal life and depicting his unsuccessful instincts with a ray of persistence deserves applause.
Technically, it’s gifted. Prasoon Joshi’s writing is absorbing, Binod Pradhan wields magic (reminded me of his divine indulgence in ‘Delhi 6’) and Shankar Ehsaan Loy deliver dollops in pallets. Couple of songs had flavoured magic and demand a special mention, my personal addiction is ‘Zinda’ which undoubtedly carries the soul of BMB.
Farhan Akhtar as Milkha Singh is a revelation. His body language, accent, innocence and passion were reminiscent of Singh’s renaissance and surprised me by miles. Sonam Kapoor has little to do and the supporting cast is appropriate with Divya Dutta delivering yet another underrated performance.
Bhaag Milkha Bhaag will remain ROMP’s most accomplished since the cult ‘Rang De Basanti’ and I will live with that for sometime to come.
On the wheels: Lincoln
@Lifeoholic 