Sunday, July 14, 2013

Running for Good

It is a common piece of advice "running from your problems is never gonna do any good,"
The Flying Sikh
well obviously it doesn't apply to someone like Milkha Singh. Once the army discovered his talent, the 'Flying Sikh' lived his amazing life through the sport and constantly ran over the obstacles in his path. Being an international Indian athlete of his stature, at a time when India was in the process of finding its feet, was an achievement that most of us today can not quite comprehend.


It is perhaps the same audience that Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra targets in his film Bhaag Milka Bhaag. Now making a biopic on a sportsman is not as easy as it sounds with casting beinga crucial call. Anyone who views the film can vouch for the fact that Farhan Akhtar was spot on. His metamorphosis is awe-inspiring, not just the detail to physical but also other subtle nuances that created a living breathing version of the legend he was to portray. Now this is a person who has so far, both as a director and actor, defined urban cool, and his uncouth ways here are quite endearing. There were other notable hits like Divya Dutta, Master Jabtej Singh, Pawan Malhotra, Dev Gill and surprisingly Prakash Raj. The misses were major, Dalip Tahil as Nehru was such an obvious misfit that it is surprising to see how he was still part of the final film. The other major shocker was Art Malik, who played Milkha's father and you will find truth in these words once you see the film.


Well cast



The sports field requires intense discipline,hardwork, patience and resilience.
The fire of passion
One of this films biggest achievements is that these words have been brought alive. It is common to see a protagonist in today's film flitting through life (e.g. in Wake Up Sid Ranbir Kapoor walks out of his fathers house, immediately finds a place to stay and when asked to be more productive finds an internship and just like that this intern's pictures are published in the magazine too and he goes back and easily reconciles with his parents). In most films blood, sweat and tears are implied, but here they are for all to see. Milkha Singh is termed a natural, but in no terms is his path to glory easy. He trains and trains and even that is not enough, he requires focus and nerves of steel to endure all the stones hurled in his path. What aids him is the faith and direction that the army constantly provides.


Another major facet of this film is that it deals with three periods namely; pre-partition, partition and post partition. The pre-partition part is fine, the period is established and some vignettes of life are portrayed. The partition in itself may seem jingoistic to some, but with what I have heard and read in reality it was far more traumatic and surreal. There is great attention to emotional detail in some aspects of the post partition period. The mass-exodus, finding your own in a sea of people, the grief of loss, the state of the refugees and finding a way to survive have all found their way in. 

Progressing further, the film weaves in a love story which is in tune
Simple and feel-good love
with the times portrayed. A subtle comment is made on the state of women, which ofcourse this being India, is pretty bad. But it is in this part that the film falters the most. The viewer is constantly searching for answers as several unlikely or unexplained incidents flash on screen. Most often under the scanner is Milkha's relationship with his sister and brother-in-law, his livelihood and how he suddenly finds himself in the army. Several loose ends have been left just like that and they feel ungracefully jarring.



Creating a storm
The film constantly picks up during Milkha's training and  his setting of records. Here too a few incidents feel like a stretch, others are educative. Binod Pradhan is in fine form and creates visuals which leave an impression. As Milkha's wins stack up, one ceases to see him as just a man who lost an Olympic medal. Despite excluding his later romantic life, the film draws him as a rounded individual and charts his personal journey to achievement, self-awareness and global exposure.

 The music keeps up, the numbers are a mix of uptempo and romantic ballads and 'Zinda Hai toh' and 'Milkha Bhaag' have rightly turned into anthems. On the whole the movie feels a tad long, especially because it does not cover Milkha's post-glory period, needing the editor to do some explaining. Clarity is not a strong point in either the screenplay or execution of the film, it has an inconsistent tone, masquerading as a western style film sometimes and at others turning on full-blown bollywood masala. Attention to detail has not been implemented as a norm and seems to be added on whim. Director Mr Mehra also retreats to constant flashback tone ala his RDB, it works while portraying Milkha's post-traumatic stress, but does not fit everywhere. The film also fails to tie the numerous threads of its story yarn in the end. 

Final verdict: Watch it like a filmbuff and you will surely feel a sense of pride and the power of passion. Definitely worth one watch.