For the history books

Film: Bhaag Milkha Bhaag

Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

The film opens with the final race at the 1960 Rome Olympics where the Flying Sikh took that infamous backward glance and shattered an entire country’s dreams. Two things are made clear by that visual; one, we are going to take a look back at how a refugee from Pakistan went on to become one of India’s most celebrated athletes, and two, Farhan Akhtar does not exist in the film, who we see is Milkha Singh.

A three-hour epic, Bhaag Milkha Bhaag chronicles the eventful and awe-inspiring life of Milkha Singh, without patronising his character and honestly narrating what is by far the best biopic made in Hindi cinema. Right from life as a little boy in a village in Pakistan, to his days at the refugee camp, to his youthful romance in a new village, to the joining of the Army and then to the life changing career in athletics – the film checks all boxes.

Pointing out minor flaws and misgivings in its narrative would be unnecessary nitpicking and would spoil the overall experience of BMB. Because walking in the shoes of a great man, as he journeys through his life, while sitting in a cold dark room, doesn’t get better than this.

Supporting roles are done to perfection by Pawan Malhotra, who plays Gurudev Singh and Prakash Raj, who surprises you for a change. Divya Dutta as Isri Kaur, Milkha’s sister, brings a sense of composure to his life, she is the only constant in his life. Dilip Tahil’s Nehru, Sonam Kapoor’s Nirmal Kaur, Meesha Shafi’s Perizaad and Rebbeca Breeds’ Stella, all come and go with very little to talk about.

Like Milkha, who squeezes his sweat into a mug in the film, Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra’s seamless direction, which binds the efficient screenplay by Prasoon Joshi into a cinematograph, squeezes all the juice from the story and puts it into the film. The strength of the film, like Mehra’s other films, lies in the editing. PS Bharati, seems to have spent some time inside Mehra’s head, envisioning the film in unison. Binod Pradhan’s cinematography needs no description, and save for the substandard computer graphics in places, the images are pure gold.

All these put together, BMB becomes a life experience; as you live every moment of it as it happens. The thrill of live sport (made believable by Farhan’s hardwork), the pain of partition, the melancholy of a heartbreak, the despair in defeat and the jubilation in victory – you don’t simply watch it, it’s as if it is happening to you.

This is a film that is inspired from history, and is made for the history books. The legend of Milkha Singh has always been immortal, but with Bhaag Milkha Bhaag, it has become something more.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Published in DNA (Pune) on July 13, 2013

High on Heartaches

Film: Raanjhanaa

Director: Aanand L Rai

Made at a time when the theatres are filled with the fast-track generation, which believes in flings, keeping scores and moving on overnight, Aanand Rai’s Raanjhanaa is a reminder of a passionate time, when love could make or break lives. Coupled with AR Rahman’s soundtrack, the film is set to become a cult among those nursing the wounds of a broken heart.

The film begins with a broken and bruised Kundan (Dhanush) being rushed to hospital as he begins a first-hand narration of how he got here. We are then transported to Banaras where a nine-year-old Kundan, the son of a Hindu priest of Tamil origin (which explains Dhanush’s accented Hindi) falls in love with a Muslim girl, Zoya (Sonam Kapoor). After a lot of innocent stalking and the adolescent exchanges, Zoya is shipped off to Aligarh for studies. Kundan waits for her to return and is heart-broken when she finally does, with another man in her heart. Thus continues Kundan’s topsy-turvy journey of life where he is madly in love with a girl who will never love him back.

The second half of the film tends to wander about a little but the crux remains the same – a man who is willing to endure anything for the queen of his heart. Be it the uneducated slashing of wrists or the glorious ability to take her to the man she loves; the film narrates a fool-proof tragedy. Most of it touches you with the help of the crisp dialogues (by Himanshu Sharma), which cannot be separated from the emotion of the scene. “Yeh Banaras hai, agar launda yahaan bhi nahi jeeta toh kahaan jeetega” suggests a lot about a character that is determined to win and also highlights the vulnerability that exists in hope.

The South Indian accent is a minor distraction in an otherwise stud-like performance by newcomer Dhanush. Swara Bhaskar does a decent job in her role as Bindiya, a character which is an omnipresent sub-plot of a half-love. Mohammed Zeeshan Ayyub plays Kundan’s friend and gives a memorable performance as Murari. Sonam Kapoor is a little inconsistent and unlike Dhanush, her character’s growth doesn’t age with time as much as you would expect it to.

Rahman’s music lends a touch that elevates the film, but, most of the numbers instantly transport you to a Rahman song from his previous films. From the title track of Jaane Tu Yaa Jaane Naa to Kun Faya Kun and from Yuva to Swades the familiar sound is as big a distraction as Dhanush’s mispronounciations.

It is hard to sit through the film and not feel the emotions generating something inside of you. However, it would be a sad commentary on our times if Raanjhanaa, like Ek Duje Ke Liye is taken as a wrong message. Slashing of wrists is un-cool and even though the movie is good enough to be put on a pedestal, let this not be the one. If there is any lesson to be taken, it is that true love comes at a cost and only those willing to pay the cost should try their hands at it.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Published in DNA (Pune) on June 22, 2013