Bhaag Milkha Bhaag (2013) User Reviews (216)

Farhan has done wonders

[amar280788 · 9/10 · 12 July 2013]

Few critics, few including Rediff ones whom I look for some good writing, have rated low to BMB. The reason they give is that movie lacks coherence and clarity. Really? I think they should only rate Hollywood movies because whoever thinks this movie is no good does not know what Hindi cinema is. Farhan has done an awesome job, and if I say awesome then it is not for his physique and dialogue delivery but for the transformation, he has gone to become Milkha Singh. We as an audience witness the physical stress and labor that an athlete as likes of Milkha Singh undergo to become a 'flying Sikh'. Hindi cinema celebrates the life of this living legend with songs and drama and music. Rakesh Om Prakash Mehra has done a decent job, still; I fell he could have done a lot better especially in the scenes of Milkha's childhood memories. His attempt of giving the movie an epic convention seriously affected the narrative portion. However, all this can be sided by the grandeur of Farhan's effort. I would like to mention a statement of one of the rediff users who wrote against critics who are undermining the effect of this movie: "note that 400mtrs is a very difficult race to run. it is at the border of quick races and long jogs. after partition India did not have either the experience nor the infra to produce runners for 400mtrs. So Milkha was a true champion in every sense. If critics pull films like these down for abstract reasons…we will forever have 20 goons flying in the air with one punch from one man. Grow up critics."

So true.

MY REVIEW: Run Farhan Run!!

[saytosandeep · 8/10 · 12 July 2013]

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag works for two basic reasons. One it is based on the story of a sports person whose personal life is dramatic enough to keep you engaged apart from its racing track achievements and second it is played by Farhan Akhtar who plays his role as if he is really Milkha Singh himself. Farhan Akhtar excels playing Milkha Singh like Ben Kingsley excelled playing Gandhi. Farhan Akhtar seems to be enjoying every bit of the movie. When he runs, he runs like a tiger. When he dances, he dances like a pure Punjabi. When he loves, he loves with innocence and passion. Farhan Akhtar can easily be given all best actor awards of 2013. All supporting actors give their best. Divya Dutta is excellent, Sonam Kapoor looks fresh, Pawan Malhotra and Parkash Raj's performance are heartwarming. Music by Shankar Ehsaan Loy is first rate and awe inspiring. Rakeyesh Omprakash Mehra like an expert captain provides movie its uniqueness, technical perfection, soul and purpose. Like an every fantastic experience, this also comes with its dull moments. Movie takes around extra half an hour before reaching to its finale. Rangrezz song could have been avoided and prolonged sequences of Milkha's achievements could have been shortened. Dilip Tahil playing Pandit Nehru looks like a missed stroke. At the end, you can safely say, you had a great time running with Farhan Akhtar for more than 3 hours. Run to your nearest theater now to watch this powerful biopic.

A commendable film on Milkha Singh's inspiring tale!

[graiker01 · 9/10 · 12 July 2013]

The sheer joy of watching someones hard-work come to life on the screen is inspiring indeed. To portray Milkha Singh's struggle and achievements and his zeal to succeed at the world stage, required an equally earnest and dedicated effort by the filmmakers. This effort is reflected in Bhag Milkha Bhag, and is what makes the film commendable.

Farhan Akhtar's tough physical training for this role pays great dividends on screen. The races look pretty convincing because of Farhan's effort and soon you find yourself cheering for Milkha, if not loudly in the movie-hall then at-least in your head.

The non-linear narrative of the film keeps the movie engrossing, so although you know the basic outline of the story, you can't really guess what would happen next. The story is narrated by Milkha's coach Gurudev Singh played brilliantly Pavan Malhotra by who first recognizes the Milkha Singh's talent.

The women in Milkha Singh's life play a very important role, be it his elder sister (played by Divya Dutta)who single handedly brings Milkha up, or the love of his life (Sonam Kapoor) who is the reason why he changes his unruly ways. Although one must add, that the part where Milkha goes on a romp after a party with Stella(Rebecca Brooks) during the 1956 Melbourne Games does look a bit forced.

Some people may have qualms with the dance sequences but personally they were quite enjoyable and didn't jar the narrative. Keep an eye out for the song with Sonam Kapoor who plays Milkha Singh's love interest in the film. The shot with them both on top of a bridge with green, swiftly flowing water below was captured beautifully.

The director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra has a signature style which is apparent like from his previous films- Rang De Basanti and Delhi-6. He can merge music and visuals to great effect. Although in some scenes a little bit of restraint in the stylistic details and drama could have certainly helped.

To emerge as a world leading athlete from India just after independence, when I suppose sports facilities weren't great, with the scars of the partition deep in his mind is some achievement. We salute you Milkha Singh! One must commend the efforts of the filmmakers to bring the story to us.

Farhan Akhter deserves a National award for this!!!

[abhishas_bhan-64-896825 · 10/10 · 16 July 2013]

Well I was not excited enough for this movie, but when the trailers started coming and then the music, my curiosity began to flourish little bit. But the main reason I went to saw this movie was because I heard almost 50-60 review from my friends and not even single person had a negative review against it. And when I saw this, it really blew me away because it had many mixtures which made this movie work. First of all FARHAN AKHTER is at its best, no doubt its his best performance till date. It was like we were seeing real Milkha Singh on screen. Divya Dutta is awesome, Pavan Malhotra, Yograj Singh & Prakash Raj have really performed well. Sonam Kapoor is completely waste though her role was very little, so you won't miss her. Rebecca Breeds looks fabulous, Dilip Tahil as Jawahar Lal Nehru was not a master stroke. Screenplay was good, music was fabulous and the background score really kept the life in each and every scene. Rakesh Omprakash Mehra's best work till date also. YOU DARE TO MISS THIS ONE ON YOUR OWN RISK !!!

Farhan Akhtar, an epitome of extreme dedication towards the character

[vaishvik93 · 10/10 · 12 July 2013]

I would certainly be disappointed if this movie doesn't get nominated for the best foreign language film in the academy awards. Farhan Akhtar is like the epitome of dedication towards Milkha Singh's character. He was running like a pro. Cinematography was just amazing. Many shots were just breathtaking. Direction was just perfect and the casting was sensibly done. Parallel storytelling kept the movie balanced between Milkha Singh's life and his sports career. The trio of Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy did their job as always.

But one of all, Farhan Akhtar rocked. He has always given his best in every field he has ever stepped in to. Respect for Farhan Akhtar, respect for Milkha Singh, the true hero.

"Bollywood needs a better class of directors, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra is gonna give you that"

[sankalpgarg17 · 10/10 · 12 July 2013]

I know this film is criticized for being overlong, but there is not a moment where you will get bored. Based on the real life story of an awesome athlete "The Flying Sikh" Milkha Singh, the story solely revolves around the hardships and horrors of his life. The whole film in a sense, is perfect.

Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra Now, i don't think i have to tell you about his past achievements. After delivering one of the greatest blockbuster of bollywood "Rang De Basanti", Mehra is back with a bang!!!!! Direction is superb with almost no loopholes left to be noticed.

Scriptwriter: Prasoon Joshi This National Awardee (Taare Zameen Par) needs no introduction. Script of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag has been beautifully transcribed and and more beautifully presented on the silver screen.

Actor: Farhan Akhtar yes, this is solely a Farhan Akhtar movie. This multi talented person has put his heart and sole in the movie. His talent can only be judged by his dedication. Farhan Akhtar's talent has been put to justice. And Pavan Malhotra's role as Coach Gurudev Singh also fits.

All in all, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is a must watch for all movie lovers, sports lovers and Indian History lovers!!!!!

Truly Inspiring... Bhaag Milkha!

[andre_rox99 · 12 July 2013]

BHAAG MILKHA BHAAG is a biopic directed by Rakyesh Omprakash Mehra, starring Farhan Akthar and Sonam Kapoor.

The film revolves around the life story of Milkha Singh.

Everyone who is associated with this film has done a GREAT job. The directors... the writers... the actors... EVERYONE. When the first look of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag came, we were shocked how similar Farhan Akthar looked like Milkha Singh, and his acting has showed us that not only is he a GREAT actor, but he can mostly do any role by now. His portrayal of Milkha Singh was outstanding.

The film starts off a BIT slow, but you manage to keep with its pace. Inspite of the film being 3h10m, you never feel bored; instead, you find yourself stuck in the world of Milkhaji- poverty, love and speed.

The replay value of this film is very high. Its very entertaining.

The acting, as said above, is very good. Other than Farhan Akthar delivering an award-winning performance, every other actor did a great job. Sonam Kapoor didn't have much to do in the screenplay, but she did it quite well.

The film does depend on each person's likes and tastes. A person who enjoys watching the so-called 'masala' flicks, may not enjoy this film due to its different type of story compared to other films. Also, people who can't sit in cinemas for a VERY long time may get annoyed at the fact that its a 3h10m film.

But Overall, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is an award-winning film. It shows us the life of Milkha Singh through his very own eyes and deserves a standing ovation for its performances, writing and direction. Truly Inspiring...

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag!- 10/10

Milkha Singh Has Won. So Has The Biographical Film. Everybody Rise! ♦ 80%

[nairtejas · 8/10 · 12 July 2013]

In less than ten minutes into the film, you get goosebumps all over your body. You get into high-spirits and then the story of The Flying Sikh begins...

It talks more about perseverance and how man can excel even in the worst conditions than the actual atheltic history. Milkha Singh, wonderfully portrayed by the talented Farhan Akhtar is one character that induces inspiration. Akhtar now has totally proved himself as a successful actor. His demeanor is appreciable and the film does showcase his hard-work. Supporting cast is very good as well. But, the actresses were sidelined which is very apt for a bio-film.

Most of the story is told in flashbacks and there is where the screenplay works. It grabs your attention. The childhood story MAY bore you a little, but every other biopic has to be honest. Much like last year's Paan Singh Tomar, BMB does have lots of surprises in store. The relation of every detail is astronomical and very well adapted. Fresh writing, inventive editing & below-average SFX/CGI makes me wanna give it a humble 8.0/10.

The songs & score are energetic which do cause an urge that we run with the athletes on-screen. That is the power of Rakeysh O Mehra and his crew. I was blown away by Akhtar's bod and his expressions. Humor touches the script at times, as well.

Overall, an entertaining biography which is well-written and well- executed. Only, the running time of 190 minutes COULD'VE... could've been shortened. Otherwise, everybody rise for this cinema of massive potential.

BOTTOM LINE: A very good entertainer with mentoring prowess. It feels good that the team has brought an epitome into reel. Kudos!

Can be watched with a typical Indian family? YES

Profanity: No | Nudity: Mild | Sex/Foreplay/Mouth-Kiss: Mild | Violence/Gore: Strong | Alcohol: Mild | Smoking/Drugs: No

bhaag milkha bhaag will make u stun !!!!!!!!!!!!!

[uditsharma420 · 10/10 · 12 July 2013]

wow wow wow ! what a movie BHAAG MILKHA BHAAG ! this movie is exceptional, the best biography that i have ever witnessed whether in Hollywood or bollywood! just watch it ! rather make it compulsory for the students of class 9-12 so that they could understand the anguish and agony of being motivated and in turn achieve what u actually desire! the movie is completely abt what MILKHA SINGH WAS ! he was an athlete ??? no ! he was something beyond we have known to him ! if i say that the best bollywood movie of all time then believe me i am telling the truth ! Farhan Akhtar is the soul of the movie, this movie completely revolves around him and his desire to achieve success and struggle in life ! he is my favorite after this one ! all the other cast have been great and done justice to their roles. sonam had a little to do but she contributed well ! from direction to screen play , cinematography to acting everything worth watching ! a 200 minute movie needs at least a time of more than 3.5 hrs to watch it , but one would not move from the seat after entering into the theater ! hats off to whole cast and crew ! **********(10 stars)

Milkha bann gaya India - A SUCCESSFUL EFFORT!!

[shaankhan-u · 8/10 · 12 July 2013]

I watched a Paid-Preview of Bhaag Milkha Bhaag last night and I was star-strucked by its fame watching the house-full crowd in the theater (as if it is the first day of the release). When I first watched its teaser in October last year and first trailer in January..it had me going since then, and now I am happy that my expectation was worth it.

BRIEF STORY & REVIEW SKETCH.

The film is about Milkha Singh and introspects his being through the eyes of Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. There are no twists or turns in the movie but its just a tale told on a clean slate. Film starts with a defeat in Olympics, carried on when Milkha refuses to visit Pakistan (has his valid reasons for doing so) but Pt. Nehru sends Milkha's latter and former coach to Chandigarh so that they can convince him for the tour. During the train-journey, Pavan Malhotra (former coach) reveals the story of Milkha Singh and his reason to not visit Pakistan to the other two gentlemen which unleashes an assiduous, interesting and penultimate story about the legend. This Sikh has been running his whole life, starting his first race for a glass of milk to the Olympics..and never ending. It reminds me of the great metaphor ' The race of Life'. Milkha Singh ran to save his life, to eat, to dream, for love, for country, for passion and to overcome his own personal fears, ''and what a run it was!''. BMB traces his scarred childhood, brutalized by India's partition ; followed by penury and petty crimes. He finds the purpose of life when he falls for Beeru (Sonam). Joins the Indian Army and since then his passion, eagerness and situations along with the efforts (negative & positive both) made by different people led him to become an athlete, a runner who remained uncased even by his own daemons. He keeps on breaking records but witnesses a heartbreaking defeat in Rome Olympics (1960) but thats not it, he takes it in his stride, overcomes his catastrophic past which was the cause of Olympic defeat and emerges out to be a clear winner.

OVERVIEW

ROPM delivers yet again a tale in his own style (fond of changing tones in his films), where the length is bit of a disappointment otherwise the content heals the flaw with a superb execution and sticky pace, that tops with Farhan Akhtar's outstanding performance (the actor gave his blood n sweat into the character) and he emerges out to be the soul of the movie physically and mentally. The story by Prasoon Joshi is admirable and the track 'Zinda' is well written by him, beautifully composed by Shankar, Ehsaan, Loy and descriptively choreographed by Shaimak Davar. The background score by the trio adds on to the whole movie. The performances from the other cast is noticeable where Divya Dutta deserves a special mention (Hats off to the lady for creating a great impact in spite of having such a small role) The film truly deserves to be one of the best that Bollywood has offered this year so far and I hope to see some more in-depth biopics like this in coming future.

I'd rate this dig-till-hell marvel biopic as 8/10.

Really?

[roshnimsubhash · 6/10 · 15 July 2013]

It's a confused film at its very best. Scratching only the surface of the many themes and characters that are part of it. What grants it grace is its music Zinda and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag have an absolutely uplifting effect. Each 'Aho' uttered by Farhan was hurting my ears and hisPunjabi was generally painful almost as much as the juvenile "Relax Singh" joke. Milkha's angst with his past could have provided the requisite tension to the film. But what is a true blue Hindi film without a villain, so we have Pakistan and its menacing athlete with a twirled mustache and nasty prick for a coach. Milkha Singh and his coach on the other hand are simple loving creatures. You can sit through the film (3 hours), enjoy it even and still come out at the end to realize the only characters that are etched out well are those played by Divya Dutta (Milkha's sister), Pavan Malhotra (First Coach), Art Mallik (Milkha's father). Jabtej Singh Singh as young Milkha was heartbreakingly good and streets ahead of the fumbling mumbling performance of the senior. The credibility of bringing depth here too lies with the performers; it is not as though the film makers went the extra length for any of the characters. Why was Sonam Kappor in the film at all?

Unwittingly, one is drawn towards making a comparison between this and Pan Singh Tomar. While being poles apart in terms of the larger treatment and of course the story line, there are common threads. The track, the army and humble beginnings being a few, but this film definitely lost its way somewhere. Me thinks Farhan wanted to run and flaunt what many might consider a gorgeous body. Om Prakash Mehra wanted to make a film about athletics. And they've dealt with the film with just about as much depth. We are none wiser about the kind of man Milkha Singh was nor is it clear where his motivation stems from.

Shankar Ehsaan Loy were part of the graces and the title track made me wish that it was made during the time that Milkha Singh was active on the track. The sheer power of hearing such a track would have got him a couple of more golds!

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag – A Flying Tale of A Flying Sikh

[shafiq-siddiqui81 · 9/10 · 19 July 2013]

A great movie experience is a combination of many things. It includes a convincing plot, high voltage drama, light moments that stay with viewers even when they leave the theatre, good music, inspirational elements and a few emotional scenes. "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" is among those movies which offer all the above mentioned ingredients at par. For those who keep a track of innovative, interesting and path breaking Indian Cinema the name of Rakeysh Om Prakash Mehra is the symbol of excellence. Whenever he unfolded his sleeves, movies like "Aks", "Rang de Basanti" and "Delhi-6" were witnessed by cine-goers. All these movies are distinctive in one way or the other. BMB is nothing different than them. It is a master stroke – without a doubt.

Farhan Akhtar secretes immense talent but no one has, up till Rakeysh Om Prakash, utilized that talent. Farhan's directorial ventures "Dil Chahta Hai" and "Lakshya" made people realize his credibility as one of the finest directors. As an actor, BMB is his landmark. The way he has carried out his role and portrayed his emotions definitely demand standing ovation.

BMB is based on the journey of great Indian athlete Milkha Singh (also known as Flying Sikh). It is a movie about a boy whose entire family excluding his elder sister was murdered in the riots of Indo-Pak partition and he became a national and international rage back in 1960's. It is also about the bond between a brother and sister – executed with exceptional detailing. Moreover, the movie is about a blooming romance, some promises with loved ones, emotional fits, flying high yet not leaving the ground by any means and a lot more. In short it's about the life of Milkha Singh and what he went through.

Performance wise, Farhan Akhtar deserves to be nominated for this movie especially by critics. He is a revelation in BMB. He tackles the most difficult parts with complete ease and effortlessness. His transitions can be easily witnessed and felt by the audience from first scene to the last. Divya Dutta as Milkha Singh's sister is vibrant, emotional, lovable and above all highly expressive. In 2 of the scenes particularly, she involved the audience to a level by her performance that no one could resist moistening their eyes. This is a performance she will always be reminded of. Sonam Kapoor (as Biro), Meesha Shafi (as Perizaad) and Rebecca Breeds (as Stella) had limited roles but they all performed well in their respective characters.

Pavan Malhotra (as Milkha Singh's senior) is inspirational and at his peak. This actor is unfortunately most underrated, he needs to be casted in more movies to show-case his vast talent. Yograj Singh as (Milkha Singh's coach) is just perfect. Dalip Tahil is strictly passable and ditto for Dev Gill (Abdul Khaliq). Art Malik (as Milkha Singh's father) and Jabtej Singh (as young Milkha Singh) are credible and treat to watch.

Music of this movie is amazing. Arif Lohar's "Bhaag Milkha", Sukhwinder Singh's "Slow Motion Angrezza", Suhas Sawant's "Zinda" and Divya Kumar's "Maston Ka Jhund" are totally different from one another yet are really awesome tracks in all respects. Shankar-Ehsan-Loy's music is simply amazing for this venture.

Some sequences to lookout for – performance wise:

When Farhan asks from where can he buy the Indian Team's blazer!

When Divya Dutta meets young Milkha Singh in the camp.

When Farhan insists Divya to wear his blazer – the scene would definitely bring tears to many viewers' eyes

When Farhan slaps himself repeatedly in the washroom

and a lot more…

On the basis of performance, direction, execution and story-telling I would easily rate this movie 9/10. It's a must watch for those who celebrates quality and inspirational cinema. A must watch!

Bhag Milkha Bhag-3 hrs package of lesser biopic, more commercial and extra ordinary Farhan

[chandan0026 · 6/10 · 15 July 2013]

Last week two films watched with a very late decision, first one Pacific Rim and second one Bhag Milkha Bhag. Love the former more than BMB. Anyways, starting with BMB-Biopic of Legendary Sprinter Padma Shri Milkha Singh.

In first impression, it looks like more commercial than a biopic for me and that's hurt a lot. Some unnecessary scenes and avoidable songs stretch the film more than 3 hrs. And you may feel bore, searching for the interval. Film turns little faster after the Sydney Olympics. But it looks ugly for a legendary, how it shows about the reason of his failure; though I don't know what was happened in his real life. It's a shame O P Mehra and screenwriter Prasoon Joshi adopts a manipulative, melodramatic approach to highlight Milkha's achievements and justify his failures.

But everything is very well managed by the genius Farhaan. It looks merely original in a scene where he slaps himself. The actor in fact, and his committed performance, is the film's biggest strength. From his convincing accent and his dialogue delivery to the sheer beast of his physical presence, Farhan is riveting as Milkha. Don't know about others, but like the appearance of Dilip Tahil as Pandit Neheru and Milkha's earliest coach, Gurudev Singh. However panoramic in scope, usually boil down to a greatest-hits collection, and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, for all its sepia-toned flashbacks and terrific training sequences is no exception. Though, hard to believe Mikha trained in Ladak by the National Coach; but nevertheless the background looks more than awesome. Director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra able to recreate the same impression in a scene when two Milkha (Young & Child) run together; just the way he did in Rang De Basanti with Bhagat Singh.

Few silly slip-ups that you never expect from a movie like BMB. Divya Dutta, as Milkha's doting sister is the only character in the film, who appears to have never aged. Mikha rides in a Royal Enfield Battle Field with wearing a Titan Edge, looks more than modern. And even Air India (not Indian) flight with a Kingfisher like Air Hostess; force you to feel about the year. May be I missed the recruitment part as it was not the first show. But, if there was any scene like this, should not be edited where you have many less important than that. Feel unfortunate having a single scene for Rome Olympics. But every Indian will love the Mikha's last run in Pakistan and becomes Flying Sikh.

Overall BMB is a 3 hrs package of lesser biopic, more commercial and extra ordinary Farhan. It may not impress an average moviegoer, for it comes across as a very slow film. But it will certainly leave you with a sense of pride for having the legendary athlete as a fellow countryman. However, you can't compare it with its counterpart "Paan Sing Tomar" or "Chakde India".

Living in its moments and surrendering in its narration

[dsa_ca · 3/10 · 13 July 2013]

The Indian film industry's most loud and noisy version Bollywood has survived most of the last three decades without telling any story to its audience. The only creative aspect of Bollywood has been its lilting music which is created by those not so good looking talented singers and musicians who are left to watch beautiful( fare skinned) actresses and actors with chiseled body(Steroids) dance and lip sync over their hard work. So whenever a story does drop by in front of them they stumble and fail to narrate it in front of their audience.

'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' is one those important true stories that needed to be told by someone other than Bollywood. With its very prejudice and narrow minded thinking it fails to liberate an inspirational personal life story beyond their myopic views.

Milkha Singh, the Indian athlete who was one of the few bright spots during the early years of independent India was like his nation lived its childhood in bloody tragedy of partition. Born in a Sikh community in pre-partition Multan, Milkha survived the partition with his elder sister along with her abusive husband.

Milkha goes on to survive the hard ships in the refugee camp in new born India by hook or crook. His persona comes off as lively and mischievous. In a very prolonged flashback we are shown his small town love affair and his tryst with the law. The director uses these sequences to insert the usual Bollywood machismo with girls shying from kisses & hugs along with tons of humorous sequences that are inconsequential to the storyline.

All these flashbacks are narrated to the secretary of Prime Minister Nehru during his journey by train to Chandigarh to meet Milkha Singh personally at the behest of Mr. Nehru. He is meeting Milkha to convince him to go to Pakistan for the Indo-Pak friendship games to be held in Lahore. He is accompanied by Milkha's athletic Coach in the Army and his current Indian national team coach who are trying to narrate Milkha's reason for not visiting Pakistan.

His refusal is due to his childhood traumas based in Multan i.e. now in Pakistan. He watched his father's head being chopped by Islamic fanatics after his father forced him to run away from the massacre. He does not feel any strain of friendship towards the neighboring state.

While the narration is about his refusal to go to Pakistan, there is no reference to it for over two hours into the movie until the Secretary himself stops the coaches in between to make them aware of his and audiences dilemma that what has been narrated has very little to do with Mr. Milkha Singh's refusal to head to Pakistan.

Throughout the narration we see Milkha join the Indian Army and dance with his colleagues in the dormitory, he grows up being a small time burglar and falls in love with the village beauty and sing and dream and then when he goes to Melbourne Olympics, he falls for a Blonde Australian and they sing and dance. By this time the murmurs and the desperation inside the movie theater is palpable as it is already over two hours. When the movie finally reaches its climax after over 180 minutes we witness a fleeting moment of a real historical sports movie with a race in Lahore that include Asian Champion Abdul Khaliq. The interjecting images of the race watched by Pakistani dictator Ayub Khan (who confers Milkha with the title 'Flying Sikh') and listened around India through Radio it is an easy win for Milkha but an important personal win. And the moment passes away as all the side characters begin to do Bhangra dance for the 100th times as they did for many other inconsequential sequences and occasions.

But nothing less is expected from Bollywood makers who are diagnosed with narrative mood swings that could be compared to a bi-polar person. They never stay in the moment of a storyline and try to squeeze out every existing emotion one way or the other.

Apart from the sharply written character of Milkha i.e. comparable to his sharply chiseled body none of the characters hold together for more than few minutes. They are either left praising Milkha or being jealous or falling head over heels to fall in love with him. Pakistani athletes are characterized as they way Indians feel they would behave with flaring nostrils and deep disdain for anything Indian (may be Abdul Khaliq did act arrogantly in front of Milkha).

But it has to do with some deep rooted feeling for white blonde among the film makers, for the way they portrayed Milkha's two love stories. While his village love is shown in a very asexual manner, where when the couple goes away for privacy they make childish gestures of love towards each other alone, but with the Australian it is filled with sex and booze from first night. May be they do go far off from village to make out, but for Bollywood to show intimacy it is easy way round to hook up with a blonde white woman.

Such views and forced dramatization of a very personal story discourages the narrative of the film to go along coherently. Unfortunately Bollywood manages to bring down the story of a national hero to its knees and successfully fares well where every other forgettable Bollywood movies fare; in its moments. In moments during Milkha racing from the pains of running bare feet to running for life, 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' finds its footing that are rare and too few in myriad of drama and Bhangra.

Heroism, dedication and roar of an Indian wounded Lion....Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

[meenendrac · 12 July 2013]

If Milkha Singh is a "Hero" this movie is Heroic! This Biopic have been excellently crafted by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra, nicely scripted by Prasoon Joshi, storytelling is nice and sequence of events have been placed aptly. It makes you laugh, it makes you cry and it makes you feel empathetic for Milkha, his partition affected fellows and communities. Right from the word 'go' till finish this flick will keep you glued to your seats.

Brilliantly performed by Farhan Akhtar along with other co-stars, with a special mention for Pavan Malhotra (Gurudev Singh, Milkha's initial trainer & coach). Full marks to Farhan for his efforts, acting, dedication for the role, for getting completely into the skin of Milkha Singh and for being an authentic Milkha! To me, it would be no surprise if he fetches a National Award for this role!

Milkha Singh runs against turbulent times of his life and establishes world records; conquers not just medals for India, but Indian hearts too! A big salute and cheers for this national hero!

This is a true tribute to this Indian, Flying Sikh!

And, if you want to be inspired, motivated and get a going in your personal life then go for it!

What a Movie "WAF"

[sunnymarwah · 10/10 · 18 July 2013]

What a dam Good Movie.... Its one of the must see movie... Apart from true story, the movie is very motivational and it will suck within while watching.... however at time in flashbacks its slow, but for a minute or so... but it takes off so high when it comes to race and sprite.... its kind of movie you can compare it with "Rocky" series from "Sylvester Stallone"

All to All... loved watching this movie... apart from its 3:08 minutes long... ;)

Must watch movie...

10 Star Rating!!

The True Story of The Flying Sikh" which became A Masterpiece of Indian Cinema

[deepchatterjee2007 · 9/10 · 21 July 2013]

Bhag Milkha Bhag, the original story of "The Flying Sikh", Milkha Singh is inspiring, fascinating, gripping, emotional, personal yet universal. The way Farhan Akhtar played the character is outstanding. But, not only Farhan Akhtar, but also Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra (Director), Prasoon Joshi (Script-writer and Lyricist) and everybody has done a great job. The way, it pictured every detail of The Legend's Life is unprecedented. And each important episode has given birth to a historical subplot. From featuring India-Pakistan partition to capturing the erase of the political borders, it is not mere a biopic of an Indian Athlete, who wins medals for India, but it became an epic and witnessed a turmoiled time-span through the eyes of Milkha Singh aesthetically and sensitively. The best part of the storyline is it showed beautifully that Milkha Singh never runs for medals. Instead, he runs for something else, something more personal, something beyond the competition titles. Sometimes he runs for a mug of milk, sometimes for the Indian Blazer, sometimes to forget his failure and overcome his weaknesses, sometimes to overcome his traumatized childhood. It showed how a sportsman can become an icon of a nation and how a legendary sportsman fights and wins his inner-battle simultaneously. It shows, how a Legend uses his nightmares, haunted memories, troubled grown-up times, failures, wounds and scars to make him more strong, more hard-working, more determined, more confident, more focused, more disciplined and more patriotic. It also showed that greatness is another name of politeness, humbleness, modesty and giving proper respect to all those seniors and gurus, who helped the man to become what he is today. The film interpreted Milkha Singh's life and achievements such a way, that it proved again the famous universal truth, "It doesn't matter where you come from, it matters where you go". On-a-whole, Bhag Milkha Bhag is a masterpiece, a movie of a lifetime and a must watch for everyone.

yet another class delivered by ROMP

[ankitfinal · 10/10 · 12 July 2013]

What a movie ! awesome the way farhan act ,the way rakeysh directed ,everything movie was superb and all the time it has mesmerized the audience through out the movie .Again no word to appreciate farhan acting ,he is a extremely talented actor and he showed up in the same way .My Voting for this is 4.5 out of 5 .In terms of IMDb I am amazed till now I am not seeing any rating of the movie and saying waiting for 5 vote for commencing the voting ,any how this movie is a purely inspired by the milkha singh . I Like the way flash back was going on ,it was a shattering flashback that was amazing to watch ,every time when the movie was going in the flashback it was awesome experience to watch it .love this movie .

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is a true inspirational movie for all us.

[er-priyaank · 10/10 · 16 July 2013]

The man who create history with his hard work and passion SIR MILKHA SINGH..The movie is awesome. The first biopic movie ever made in Bollywood which create a boom all over the world.FARHAN AKHTAR show us what he able to do in films.Totally appreciate his work in the movie. now he is Bollywood ROCKEY BALBOA.People now see him how he trained himself and spent time in gym and stadium. After RANG DE BASANTI RAKEYSH OMPARKASH MEHRA shows his direction talent again. Prasoon Joshi fully justice to script of the movie he actually done a great job with the story and presentation of movie is up to the mark.About MILKHA SINGH JI.He is a living legend and true inspiration for all of us.

Review of negative reviews

[siddharthu2003 · 10/10 · 19 July 2013]

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is a great movie according to me. Unfortunately, it has received reviews from both extremes. The people who have disliked the movie because of its pace are very impatient souls. The movie's depth is only understood when the mind is tuned to the perfectly timed pace of events of the movie. I read a review that said 'for a fast runner movie, it is extremely slow paced'. There is no damn connection between between a life story of a runner and the pace of the movie. I think such reviewers are so used to reviewing commercial non-sensical masala films that they have forgotten what real movies are like.

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag is a movie that is crafted for excellence by the very second.

Excellent(a bit too long)

[abhisheldarkar · 10/10 · 16 July 2013]

I don't really do this but I'd like to make an exception in this case. The movie is excellent. Great way of story telling. The story is about one man but he is not the only one who plays the role exceedingly well. After watching this I don't think any one who acted in this film was remotely bad. They all acted amazingly well and gave true justice to their own characters.

Only drawback that i can mention here is the time. i think the movie is a bit too long. For the first 2 and half hours i didn't really feel the need to look at my watch.

Overall a refreshing film with excellent story and great acting.

A dedicated biopic which often meanders and gets boring....needs some serious editing..!!

[ankishraj · 6/10 · 13 January 2014]

BHAAG MILKHA BHAAG is riveting to the core and inspiring. No doubts about that. But the disappointment comes to spoil the thrill.

BMB has a runtime of almost 3 hours 15 minutes that is too much. The film's biggest flaw is the editing. The film needs dome serious editing not because its 3 hours but because it gets boring at many places. The training sequence mainly needs trimming. The film is otherwise a good watch because it's brimming with inspiration that young India needs.

The direction is good and RAKYESH creates the retro look well. The music by SHANKAR-EHSAAN-LOY is amazing, especially ZINDA and MERA YAAR.

FARHAN AKHTAR is the soul of the film. He's not actually acting- he's being Milkha, he's living Milkha. SONAM KAPOOR was paid 11 rupees for this film. I say she's over-paid. She is a joke amidst all the stunning performers. The rest of the cast does really well.

Altogether, watch BMB if slow-paced biopics and inspirational pieces suit your taste. I'll go for a 5 for the film and an extra star for Farhan. So 6/10 for this flick that is dedicated but often falls short and bores you.

Strong story and motivational movie...

[vickysri1990 · 9/10 · 18 July 2013]

The movie starts with the Rome olympics. The movie switches between present and his childhood age for better continuation of story. Prakash Raj has done a good job though the time he appears in the screen is less he made his role get stitched to the audience's mind. Punjabi slang of Farhan is good. Director has tried to narrate the complete story of Milka singh in brief way. The scenes in the Indo-Pak games and Asian Championship deserves standing ovation. Cinematography is good. Sonam Kapoor has done pretty well. Behind the success of every man there might be a desire or a determination to prove a point. The way Milka Singh overcomes his hurdles in a positive way is motivational. Casting was done the best way. No unwanted roles . And all of them did their best of their roles.

Always there will be some efforts put on by Farhan Akthar in his movies. He will be try to attract audience' attention in the screen. This movie too is not exception to that. His hardwork in playing such a critical role gets rewarded when people give standing applause at the end.

On the whole it is INCARNATION OF Farhan Akhtar as "Flying Sikh". .

A Very Good Biopic That Could Have Been Way Better

[DareDevilKid · 7/10 · 21 July 2013]

Rating: 3.6/5 stars Reviewed by: Dare Devil Kid

Raw, passionate, intense, emotional, and inspirational; "Bhaag Milkha Bhaag" is quite a competent retelling of Milkha Singh's journey, which just falls short of being a completely rousing epic. Director Rakesh Omprakash Mehra does a fine job of putting us right into the protagonist's shoes and he literally makes us feel the trials, tribulations, metamorphosis, and triumphs of our hero.

Now, if the Director only had done away with some unnecessary songs, tightened up the narrative a bit, trimmed some loose ends, and focused a bit more on certain important sporting accomplishments of the sprinter's career; the film could have been so much more memorable. The tone of this sports-drama could have also done with a more stirring background score.

Also, Farhan Akhtar's performance while dedicated and nuanced, is not that great like it is being made out. At times his accent does falter and his dialog delivery might make you forget occasionally that he's Milkha and not Farhan. The performances that really stand out in the movie are Yograj Singh's, Divya Dutta'a, Pavan Malhotra's, and surprisingly even Prakash Raj's (Director's please give this talented actor better roles).

Alas, we have to make do with a film about one of India's greatest sporting icons, that almost delivers on its promise. Perhaps, the most significant feat of the movie is that we feel like running and celebrating along with Milkha Singh.

Run Run Run!

[amit_imt2002 · 3/10 · 12 July 2013]

As I lifted my aching bums from the seat after watching this film the uppermost thought in my mind was a silent thank you to the guardian angels of cinema.After all if this is how we approach biopics I am so happy that Gandhi was made by a foreigner 30 years ago.If Bollywood had a shot at it, they would have made the Mahatma do garba and dandiya with Kasturba and his brave experiments with celibacy would have turned to sleaze.There would have been Zulu dancers during his South Africa phase, soulful ghazals when he visits Amritsar in the aftermath of Jalianwala Baag massacre and sufi songs when Hindu Muslim riots break out.There would also have been some Englishman raping a Indian girl and a sexy mujra in the court of a debauched Maharaja.

Bhaag Milkha Bhaag tries to tell the story of India's greatest athlete in the only language that Bollywood understands – the musical.Indeed a sporty musical can be done very well as Lagaan demonstrated but this film simply does not have the material to carry off a handful of songs.It all begins at the Rome Olympics in 1960 where Milkha Singh comes fourth in a photo-finish despite being the world record holder and a favorite to win the race.The reason for his poor showing is a backward glance which according to the film is the massacre of his family during the partition coming back to haunt him.Nothing is further from the truth. Milkha Singh lost because he made a strategic blunder in running too fast during the first 250 meters and tried to slow down which cost him the race.That and his being in lane 5 which creates a blind spot and a disadvantage for a sprinter.So much for a biopic!

The film ends with a cricket match final.Now how can that be since this film is about athletics? I am lying of course, the director wisely reduces his race in Pakistan to a India Pakistan war as it happens in every Indo-Pak cricket match and ends the film on a jingoistic note! And yes we take a full three hours to reach this convoluted climax.

The story of Milkha Singh is a great story, his lost childhood, his parents murder during the partition, his rise to running glory, his infamous loss at the Rome Olympics which led to him hitting the bottle, his win in Pakistan and him turning down the Arjuna Award.But Mr Mehra finds it more important to dwell on his romance while growing up and his one night stand with a hot Australian girl during the Melbourne Olympics.A chiseled Farhan doing push ups at the beach with a buxum bikini clad blond lying on his back should be paisa wasool!

To the films credit the races are filmed with great finesse, the training sequences are epic, Farhan Akthar has a body to die for or to kill for and some of the incidents of his early life are very engrossing. Undoubtedly Farhan as Milkha is a casting coup and the effort he puts into becoming Milkha Singh translates into a superlative performance.The big budget is up on the screen, the attention to period detail is exquisite and Binod Pradhan's camera-work top notch. Pawan Malhotra is downright brilliant as his coach.There is this shot when Milkha Singh get taken over by the coach of the national team and Pawan Malhotra looks at him with an expression that is a mixture of pride and sadness, he is loosing his most talented protégée and is happy for him.That shot alone redeems this film.

Bhaag Milkha Bhag is a stellar example of a wasted opportunity, this could have been a good film if 70 minutes had been chopped and it could have been a great film if it had focused on Milkha Singh the man and athlete and not on Farhan Akhtar the alpha male with the body of a Greek God.Even after three hours of watching this film we are none the wiser about the profession of running or what it must have been like to be Milkha Singh in the first decade of India's independence or what the legacy of this great athlete is.

Bhaag Audience Bhaag!