14 minutes agoAuthor: Ashish Tiwari
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The story of India’s great athlete Milkha Singh was fielded by director Rakesh Omprakash Mehra in 2013 through his biopic ‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’. After 12 years, the film is being re-localized once again. Earlier, the film was scheduled to be re-districts on July 18, but now it will be re-immigrant in theater on August 8.
Rakesh Omprakash Mehra told in a special conversation with Dainik Bhaskar that the film is not just a life story of a sports person, but it also reflects the sharing of India. The special thing is that Milkha Singh took only one rupee for his biopic.
During this conversation, Rakesh Omprakash Mehra shared many interesting things related to the film’s making. Here are some major excerpts…
‘Bhaag Milkha Bhaag’ was not a film but a revolution, an inspiration. For this, you and Farhan Akhtar are less praised. What would you like to say?
We are a small link of this film. The story is of Milkha ji. The story inspired, we tried to put the same on screen. Everyone worked with heart in it. This is not just a sports person, but the story of the partition of India.
First of all you read Milkha Singh’s autobiography in Gurmukhi, what kind of memories are there?
I did not come to read Gurmukhi. I have an uncle. He came to India after partition. He read autobiography in Gurmukhi and said that son this is a very deep story. I knew about Milkha ji. Had read about him on Wikipedia, but he was not enough.
Meet Milkha ji through a friend. When he met him for the first time in Chandigarh, I forgot that my return flight in the evening. I felt that I was back home. I stayed in a week in Chandigarh.
Even before me, many people had met for Milkha ji’s biopic. Milkha ji’s son Jeeva said that only the film Rakesh will make and we will take only one rupee. Showing someone’s life on screen is not just a task, but a very big responsibility.
The rest of the films are hits and super hit. The film was also a big hit, many national and international awards were also received. All these things were on one side, but if a film becomes a part of people’s lives, then I understand that making a film became meaningful.
The passion shown in your film, which has been shown, inspires people a lot?
You said very deeply. When we participate in a competition, then the defeat wins. I believe that your competition should only be with yourself. This can make better and strong humans. The story of Milkha ji is the same. He win by himself.
What kind of challenges came from making a film to make a film from making a film?
The bigger the challenge, the more fun it is. There were challenges, but got a lot to learn from them. Whereas this story is from the time when I was not born. The eyes that had not seen the eyes had to do a lot of research in it. In the case of Sport, I did not have to work so hard, as I was a sportsman myself.
The National Stadium used to train in Delhi. He used to hear the stories of Milkha Singh and Dara Singh. Milkha ji used to faint during training. Used to vomiting blood. Those people were heroes in our time. At that time, Milkha Singh ji’s goal was to get a glass of milk and two eggs. His goal was not to change the world, but to fill his stomach. Somewhere a person spends his whole life in earning bread for two times, but Milkha Singh ji changed him so that history became a history.
Was it considered to be cast by Akshay Kumar and Ranbir Kapoor in the film in place of Farhan Akhtar?
I first write the script, then casting it. Once the character is understood, then approach the actor. When the character emerged, the names of many people emerged, but there is a saying and not the name of the eater. Farhan’s name was written on this. He left such an impression that no other actor can even think of that character.
Is it true that Milkha Singh’s daughter Sonia fainted after seeing Farhan Akhtar’s transformation?
Jawaharlal Nehru in Delhi was shooting at the Stadium. Milkha ji’s daughter Sonia ji came. I said- I introduce you to someone. When I saw Farhan, she was surprised. He said, “Hey, you.”
For the first time when Farhan Akhtar met Milkha Singh, there was a challenging race between the two?
We used to reach Priyadarshini Park for training at 6 am. Once Milkha Singh ji was going to Canada. His flight was from Mumbai. I said come to our training in the morning. It would be great if you put a 400 meter round with Farhan. At the age of 80, he ran and taught Farhan’s style of running. He was not a race and challenge. It was a small moment we were living.
There was another amazing moment when Milkha Singh ji gifted his spikes shoes Farhan wearing in the Olympics after the film’s release?
There is a very sweet story behind it. When I came to know that Spike Shoes was being auctioned, I reached to pick him up and took it for 20 lakhs. I went to Chandigarh Press Conference. Gave that shoes to Milkha ji. The spike shoes were first donated by Milkha ji for charity. Milkha ji gave the same spike shoes to Farhan Akhtar. That was a very emotional moment.
The story of the one rupee you gave is very amazing?
Milkha ji went to the Olympics in 1960. I thought that give them one rupee of the time when they were on a lot of peak. I found the money of that time a lot, then met. He gave one rupee to Milkha ji.
Sonam Kapoor also took 11 rupees for the film, is this also correct?
Sonam’s character was small in the film, but her character brought the turning point in the film. When she heard the script, she was very impressed by her character. It is true that he took 11 rupees for the film.
You presented the story of the film with such truth and honesty. Where did you get this courage and thinking?
People say that the truth is bitter. I think nothing is more sweet than the truth. People are very afraid of falling, but it is very important to fall into life. Fall is our natural tendency. Success will automatically come if you embrace the failure. Do not hide your mistakes, but face them. Everyone passes through such a round. The story touches the hearts of the audience only when they sees their familiarity in the character.
Some flaws of Milkha Singh’s life also appeared in this film, while people usually avoid it?
Milkha ji had gone through that place in life. He was afraid that if his flaws would come out, it would probably not look good. When he believed me, he told many such things. Out of which many things we did not show on screen because some things become a little personal.
I have a 3000 -hour recording of talks with him. As many times he told his story, tears used to come to his eyes in two places. The first when the family is murdered in front of their eyes at the time of partition. The second time when the gold medal falls from his hand during the Olympics in Rome.
After hearing his story, I wrote the first scene that Milkha ji is running in Rome Olympics. His coach says that Bhaag Milkha. When he looks back, his childhood is seen. Which is very scary. The horse -riding tribal is chasing them. Blood is dripping from the sword of tribal. When Milkha ji looks back, the gold medal falls at the same time.
In the last scene of the film, when Milkha ji looks back and when his childhood is seen, he is smiling in it. After writing the beginning and last scene, I gave Prasoon Joshi to write the middle scenes. He also spent a lot of time with Milkha ji.
The music of the film is quite impressive. What is your opinion about its songs and music?
While writing the screenplay, I write about what will be the essence of music and songs. Which musicians and lyricists enhance. I grew up listening to music. Today’s generation has grown up to see the song. Those who listen get into the heart. When I listen to the music of films, there is no need to increase its volume. I get pulled like him myself. He is also seen in my films.
There is also a cameo of you and Milkha Singh ji in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag. What is the story behind it?
Shooting was going on. If the actor who played the role of the pilot did not reach, then I got that role. I also enjoy showing a small glimpse in my films. In the last scene of ‘Rang De Basanti’, I am seen in the role of Bhagat Singh’s father, but no one recognized me. There is also a shadow in ‘Aks’. Farhan’s coach plays in ‘Hurricane’. It was not seen in ‘Delhi 6’.
Rahe Baat Milkha ji’s cameo of the film, there are some photographs in the title sequence at the beginning of the film. The story of the film is inspired by True Life. The film was to be finished on whose True Life was. Hence his two words were shown in the last with ‘Hard Work’.
The film was highly appreciated in the country and abroad. Is there any praise that you still remember today?
Names and names earn, but this film gave a lot of love from people. Last year went to Maldives with his family. Even in a small island, people know about our film.
Carl Lewis is a very big athlete. Won four gold medals in the same Olympics. He won the Golden Battle at the 1991 Tokyo World Championship. He had seen this film somewhere and signed the same golden battle and sent it to Milkha ji. While he had no acquaintance from Milkha ji.
Two years ago, when 10 years of the film were completed, we released the film in 30 screens in 30 cities with sign language, so that the film also reached those who could not hear and speak. I want every film to be released in this way.
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