If he were alive, legendary athlete Milkha Singh would have loved to see his biopic Bhaag Milkha Bhaag re-release in cinema halls.
After all, it was the first film he watched since the 1960s when the Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra directorial originally released back in 2013. The ace sprinter was also impressed by Farhan Akhtar's dedication when he trained to play the titular role in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.
As Bhaag Milkha Bhaag re-releases in theatres today, here's revisiting what very well could be Milkha Singh's last interview months before he died on June 18, 2021 at the age of 91 following a month-long battle with Covid.
Milkha Singh On Bhaag Milkha Bhaag Team And Sports Biopics
Milkha Singh was introduced to the track and field sport while he was serving in the Indian Army in the 1950s. Once he started training as an athlete in the 1960s, he never watched a film until his own biopic Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, he said in the interview, originally published on March 23, 2021.
The Padma Shri awardee, who was nicknamed 'The Flying Sikh' for his accomplishments, was also chuffed about how people used to tell him that Farhan Akhtar looked exactly like him in Bhaag Milkha Bhaag.
"When Bhaag Mikha Bhaag was released, no matter where I went -- Australia, England or Canada, people around the world used to say, 'Farhan is Milkha Singh's ditto copy'. I even went to see Farhan train during the film's making and saw him run 100 metres in 11 seconds! He was not a professional athlete, but he trained hard to become one."
The late sporting icon was close to Farhan Akhtar and Bhaag Milkha Bhaag director Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra until the very end. His son and professional golfer Jeev Milkha Singh had watched the director's 2006 acclaimed hit Rang De Basanti, following which he decided that rights to his father's life story would go to Mehra.
"Rakeysh was once a top swimmer in the country. That is why he is able to make such films," Milkha Singh had added.
Farhan Akhtar and Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra's next collaboration Toofaan, another sports drama, was gearing up for a release when Milkha Singh gave this last interview in 2021
At the time, the former athlete said he "loved Farhan's look" in the teaser of Toofaan, which released on July 16, 2021, on Prime Video. Milkha Singh had said, "He has made a wonderful physique for the role of a boxer. My best wishes are with Farhan and Rakeysh. I will surely watch Toofaan. I hope they make many more sports films in future."
He also spoke in favour of sports biopics.
"I know there is a film on (MS) Dhoni. Films are also being made on other sports personalities like PT Usha and Kapil Dev. It's a very good trend. I enjoyed watching Bhaag Milkha Bhaag very much. Many such sports films should be made so that the upcoming generation draws inspiration from the sportspersons of our country, win medals at the Olympics and Asian Games, and make India proud."
Rubbing Shoulders With Hindi Cinema's First Family
Milkha Singh, who missed an Olympic medal by a whisker at the 1960 Games, also said that theatre and cinema doyen Prithviraj Kapoor, father of actor-director Raj Kapoor, had organised a paath at his house to pray for his win in Rome.
"Mera achha yaarana tha Raj Kapoor ke saath (I was good friends with Raj Kapoor). When I used to go to Bombay to run, I would often meet Raj Kapoor and he would take me to RK Studio."
The athlete, who also represented India in the 1956 and 1964 Olympics, in the 2021 interview also recounted his early memories of watching a silent film with some children from his village Govindpura, now in Pakistan's Punjab.
"They were going to watch something which was being shown on a curtain and I went with them. One could only see the actors moving their hands and legs, there was no sound. But it was a wonderful experience. There was no TV, mobile, or video in those times. It is a different world today," he said.
But Milkha Singh had fond memories of the 1940-50s classics such as his friend Raj Kapoor's movies such as Awaara and Shree 420, along with Anmol Ghadi, featuring Suraiya and Noor Jehan.
"That was the time of Raj Kapoor, Suraiya, Shamshad Begum, and Noor Jehan. I didn't watch a film after the 1960s. I have no idea who all were the good heroes, directors or producers in the '80s. The only film I watched after all those years was my own film," he had said.
Fitness First
Milkha Singh was proactive about his fitness regime, that included running even at the age of 91.
"Exercise has kept me safe during COVID-19," he had said.
Perhaps it wasn't meant to be. He was diagnosed with the virus in the following months and succumbed to the infection on June 18, 2021, days after his wife and former national volleyball captain Nirmal Kaur, who also died due Covid complications.